Powerless
by PixieGirl13
Summary: Full Summary Inside: While all his friends and family are away, Danny gets a strange visit from Vlad. Soon, the ghost boy finds himself kidnapped by the man and flying across the world to Japan where Vlad is investigating a mysterious and dangerous...
1. Chapter 1 Playing Games

Full Summary: While all his friends and family are away, Danny gets a strange visit from Vlad. Soon, the ghost boy finds himself kidnapped by the man and flying across the world to Japan where Vlad is investigating a mysterious and dangerous trail of a monster of ancient proportions. Danny quickly finds out that having to pretend Vlad is his father is not as bad as the life threatening methods he must take to defeat this new evil.

A/N: Amazing what banging your head against the wall for a whole week of boredom can produce. No, really, I thought hard on this fic and it is gonna be fun. I'm excited to get this fic started! Those of you I know from my other fan fictions, I'm happy to have you guys aboard! You guys are awesome!

Getting serious, this fic is set right between the last season of the show and before Phantom Planet. It will have some Sam and Danny romance, but nothing serious. I'll keep it light for those of you who don't care for the ship. I'll be focusing too much on action and violence to get into the mushy stuff anyways. That said, enjoy the first chapter of Powerless!

Disclaimer: Here we go again. I don't own any Danny Phantom characters!

Powerless

By: Pixiegirl13

Chapter 1 Playing Games

"Who the heck still starts off their story with 'once upon a time' these days?"

That was Sam of course. Who else in my group of friends had an intense aversion to anything cliche and frilly like fairy tale openings? As I walked beside her down the sidewalk, I mentally prepared myself for the tangent ahead.

"I thought it sounded cool, 'cause it is placed in a modern time, you know," Tucker tried to defend himself. It was a nice try and all, but he was really digging himself deeper into his grave.

"What, you trying to sound like a cute Disney film?" Sam sneered. As if disgusted with the topic, she shoved Tucker's notebook into his chest and frowned when seeing him stumbled to try and catch it.

"Hey!" he protested. "I spent all night trying to come up with a good beginning to this stupid report. It's not my fault Lancer gave us homework over the summer."

What had made him so bold today, I had no clue. All I knew was that this was either going to get ugly or highly entertaining. We only had a few more blocks to go until we reached my house. I wondered if I should pick up the pace or slow it down to see Sam chew out Tucker on the dark oppression of modern media and how it dilutes the minds of the teenagers and kids of today.

"Come on, Tucker, your mind is creative enough to come up with something other than that crap," Sam started. Tucker shot me a pleading look to back him up. I just shrugged, preferring to stay silent for a good reason.

"What you are doing by writing that kind of beginning is being lazy and caving into the mindless junk TV and other media gives us, telling us that it is okay to use pathetic openings like that as long as it gives you a passing grade," Sam started to rant. I grinned at a defeated Tucker. He had it coming. Hadn't he seen it?

"Do you think the Grimm brothers really wanted us to transform their original dark and imaginative stories into cute, stupid fairy tales for little kids and vapid opening one liners of homework essays?" Sam asked him.

"Who are the Grimm brothers?" Tucker asked, suddenly confused by where this conversation had gone. One look of Sam's face told me he had said the wrong thing.

It was time to butt in.

"Okay!" I said loudly, raising my hands to look non-threatening. "Let's just pretend Tucker didn't say that and call it a day with your personal vendetta with Teen Magazine, Sam." I tried a cheesy smile. For some dumb reason I thought it would smooth the tension.

A puzzled Tucker and a furious Sam locked their gazes on me. They didn't say anything. I debated if that was a good or bad thing. I figured it was the first of the two because now they looked almost sad and forlorn at the sight of me.

"You sure you're going to survive these next few days, Danny?" Sam asked me. Purposefully, she slowed her pace which made us slow it down too.

"Yeah, man, you're going to be stuck here in Amity Park for ten whole days without either Sam and I," Tucker said. "Are you going to even ghost fight?"

I rolled my eyes and smiled lazily. "Guys," I told them, "I'll be fine. I'll miss you guys, but trust me, a week and a half without my parents or Jazz around will be put to very good use. And of course I'll ghost fight. I've done it by myself many of times."

"I can't believe your parents are letting you stay alone at your house for ten whole days," Tucker mused out loud. "You'd think they would make you come with them."

I sighed heavily before admitting, "My dad said he called someone to keep an eye on me while they are gone. The friend said he'd have no problem with popping in now and then to see if I'm okay."

Sam giggled but stopped when she noticed my glare. "Sorry," she said with a grin. "Just sounds like you have a babysitter. Aw, poor Danny needs adult supervision."

"At least they're letting me stay here instead of going on that stupid road trip to Connecticut to go check out a college Jazz wants to go to," I said. "I mean, what kid in their right mind wants to get dragged around in a supped-up ghost RV, getting lost every hour with my dad behind the wheel? It is going to take them at least three days to get there. I'd go insane! My family doesn't _do_ road trips."

"Well, my parents are letting me go alone to New York City on the train," Sam bragged. "It's just going to be me and my art portfolio. I can't wait!" She was really excited, I could tell. I had caught her numerous times this past week smiling at random. It was nice.

"Hey, good luck with that and your art show," I told her seriously.

"I can still get you a train ticket, babysit boy," Sam said hopefully.

"Sorry," I said honestly, "But my parents said if I asked them if I could go with you one more time they'd make me come with them. And no offense, Sam, but I'd rather hang out here alone than go on that dreaded road trip." Just thinking about it made me cranky.

"You could always go while their gone," Tucker pointed out. "They do realize that, right?" He wasn't suggesting it, just pointing out the obvious.

"And that is why the babysitter has to come around," Sam answered before I could open my mouth. She smiled slyly at me with this one. I tried not to let her teasing get to me. Besides, I liked her better this way than when she ranted. And that smile of hers whenever she stuck me with a good, witty one. Wow. It was hard not to get hypnotized by it. Good thing she didn't smile often, or I would be following her like a demented puppy dog all day.

Tucker chuckled at my look of exasperation with Sam's relentlessness. "Have fun while we're gone, dude," he said to me. "I'll send you a postcard from England. You want one of Big Ben?" I frowned at him. Grinning, he patted my shoulder in a mocking sort of way.

Tucker's dad had a last minute business meeting in London, England. The family hadn't gone on vacation this summer, so his dad decided to spend their extra cash on his wife and kid, bought two more plane tickets, and planned out a two week vacation in Europe. What can I say? I was a bit jealous.

"I hope it rains every day you're there," I muttered at him. Sam laughed at this.

Tucker didn't seem to be too put off by my spiteful comment. He flashed a goofy smile before saying, "I don't care if it rains. Paris is the city of love. They don't call it French kissing for nothing."

"Oh brother," Sam said, sticking her tongue out as in fake vomiting. Thankfully, she was smart enough not to go off into a rant. She had learned since the beginning that no amount of talking was going to coax Tucker out of his womanizing ways. That was what made Tucker, Tucker.

I grinned over at my buddy before saying, "Have a great time, man."

We had arrived at my house. The sun was beginning to set on the day we had spent together. The giant metal Op. Center that loomed above the brick building of my house cast a dark shadow on the cement sidewalk and pavement. It seemed to swallow us and our own shadows up as we walked to the door.

Sam and Tucker were always welcome to come inside, but today they had packing to do and couldn't stay. Tucker's plane took off at five in the morning. That sucked. Sam didn't have to be at the train station till nine the next day, but she wanted to work some more on one of her paintings that night. This was where we would have to say our goodbyes.

I had no clue that I'd miss them more than ever in the days ahead.

-Next Morning-

At 9:16 a loud, incessant ringing woke me out of a deep sleep. I moaned into the soft folds of my pillow. My bed felt so good. I didn't want to get out. It was my first day of vacation, I felt it my duty to sleep in till two in the afternoon.

My cell phone was relentless, though. I rang noisily a second time, demanding for me to open my eyes and move. I yawned while sitting up and stretching. I decided to make whoever was waking me up wait till I was good and ready. I regretted the thought when I glanced at my caller ID and saw it was Sam.

"Ah! Sorry!" I told Sam while flipping my cell phone open and shoving it close to my ear.

"Let me guess," Sam said from the other end, "You were going to sleep till five in the afternoon?"

I chuckled. "Close," I said. "I thought two was more realistic."

"Oh, big difference," Sam teased. We laughed a little. I imaged her smiling in a crowd of strangers. She had her big, black portfolio bag in one hand. I could see her confidently drifting through the people at the station, proud of her beautiful accomplishments in hand.

I was yanked out of my daydream of her when Sam said casually, "I just called to ruin your sleep."

"Mission accomplished," I said with a grin.

"No, really, I called to tell you the phone number of where I'll be staying," Sam said. "Some third uncle or whatever who works at Wall Street. I probably wont ever see him. Fine with me. I get to avoid all the awkwardness." She rapidly gave out the number for me, and I scribbled it down after asking her a few times to repeat it. For some reason I found it important to get it perfect.

"Thanks," I said after successfully writing down the number. "And thanks for the wake up call. I'm gonna go take a shower now."

"I have to board the train now anyways," Sam said. She sounded nervous but excited. "I get no reception in there, I'm sure." She paused before saying quietly, "I'll miss you."

I smiled when she said this and a weird, warm feeling came over me. She was going to miss me. _Sam_ was going to miss _me_. It took me a moment or two to get over myself and muster out a pathetic, "I'll miss you too."

"Well, call me later!" Sam said a little too quickly. "Bye!"

I sat there looking despondently at my cell phone before sighing and saying unenthusiastically, "See ya." She hung up. I pressed the END button. Why is that button always red? It makes it seem so final, so absolute. I didn't like it being that color.

"Why do I care if the button is red or not?" I grumbled to myself. I forced myself out of my warm, cozy bed and stumbled around my room grabbing clothes without bothering to sniff them. So what if they were a bit dirty? I wasn't going to see anyone today.

Besides, I had little to no idea how a washing machine worked and no desire to figure it out now. All my clothes were going to smell by the time my parents got back. I knew that before they had even left. And so did my mom, so she had washed practically everything before leaving the house. Mentally, I thanked her while rushing off to the bathroom.

My parents and Jazz had set out for Connecticut late last night. They wanted a head start was their excuse. Jazz just wanted to arrive at the college on time. That meant that morning I had the bathroom to myself. It was strange having the house so quiet. It was spooky yet nice, in a calming sort of way.

I took a quick, hot shower. I loved having the simple debate I had in my head over which cereal to eat for breakfast. When you spend so much time worrying about ghost attacks and stressing over homework for school and other complicated things it takes to survive being a teen ghost superhero, you never take the simple things in life for granted.

When done with the shower, I wanted to please the complaining in my stomach and rushed for the kitchen. I flew down the stairs and was half way across the living room when I finally noticed him and stopped dead in my tracks. A look of shock was stuck on my face.

Oh, this new twist did not bode well.

Vlad Masters sat nonchalantly on the couch in the living room. He looked comfortable, his arms resting on the back of the seat and his long legs propped up on the coffee table that had a chess board and steaming tea pot placed on it. The chess pieces were all set up ready for a game, as if this encounter with the man was symbolized in their placement. A pleased, amused smile crossed Vlad's features as he took in my reaction to his presence.

"What are you doing here?" I asked my smiling adversary. I tried to sound stern and in control, but it sounded weary in my ears. I was tired of trying to figure out all of Mayor Vlad's evil schemes. And I was sure there was something brewing in that head of his with him being here.

Can't a guy ask for just one day of relaxation? Apparently not.

"You were always one to cut to the chase," Vlad said. He grinned sardonically before saying, "I thought you liked surprises, Daniel."

"Never did," I said. The initial shock had worn off me now, and I was as tense as a zebra eating, knowing that lioness was out there watching you and waiting for the right time to strike. I kind of felt sorry for that zebra right about now. I knew exactly how he felt.

"Well, I've always enjoyed them," Vlad smoothly continued. His eyes never left my still form. Those calculating cold eyes viewed me as if I was a specimen meant to be examined. I shifted nervously under his gaze. Really, what did he want?

"You want to know why I'm here?" Vlad suddenly got to the point. He chuckled. I hated it when he did that. It usually meant he was going to say or do something evil at my expense. "I can't tell you that right now," Vlad explained to me. "It is all very complicated, I might add."

"I got all day," I grumbled back.

We stared and regarded each other for a half a minute. I locked my narrowed eyes on his and refused to let go. I wanted to tell him I meant business. He needed to get the point that he was no where near wanted in this house, especially while I was around.

"Tell you what," Vlad said with a sigh. "You beat me at a game of chess, and I'll actually leave this house right here and now." He waved a hand over the chess set laid out before him as if welcoming me into his world.

"You're joking, right?" I asked, skeptical. I ventured a little forward out of curiosity. It seemed too good to be true.

"This is no joking mater, boy," Vlad said seriously. "Will you play me or not?"

"You're on, V-man," I said, flashing him a cocky smile. He returned it with a raised eyebrow. While he stood up to sit down at one side of the the board, the black side, I walked over to sit across from him. Vlad didn't look nervous at all. More like smug.

My stomach churned at the thought of this all being way over my head. I looked back down to my pieces and pressed my lips together in thought. I had played the game plenty of times before to know it. It was only then that I realized I sucked at winning it. Oh jeez! I _was_ in over my head!

"Your move, Daniel," Vlad told me from where he was leaning back against the couch across from me. He looked relaxed and a little amused. Great. Now I was his entertainment.

I picked up a pawn. Its glossy coating glimmered in the lighting of the living room. I placed it two blocks forward and waited for Vlad to move while taking my hand away. His move was quick and precise, as if he played this game millions of times before...which I had a sneaky feeling he did.

"Tea?" Vlad asked me once he had moved. He picked up one of mom's ceramic tea pots that had been there and poured the warm liquid into two cups. He had set this whole thing up for me. Wait. How long had he been in my house without me knowing? The thought creeped me out to no end.

"Do I look like a fruit loop?" I asked him after making another move.

Vlad had been in mid sip when I said this. I smiled slightly when he choked a little and narrowed his eyes at me. But he quickly composed himself and lightly placed his cup back in its place beside the chess board.

"Can't I show an act of kindness without you getting all up tight?" he asked me with a pretend coy grin. "I thought you might be thirsty. Your move."

Confused, I looked down at the board. He had moved so quickly, I barely had seen it. But it was true. His knight was now in a good spot to take out my queen. Without hesitation, I moved my queen to safety.

"You do know someone is supposed to come over soon to check up on me," I said. "Meaning you can't stay long."

Vlad sneered, "Child, I'm the one your idiot father asked to babysit you. Check."

My emotions were torn between outrage and frustration. I ignored his first sentence and scanned the board. We had barely started the game. How had he checked me so quickly? I just needed to be more careful, that's all.

Stalling for time, I grabbed the cup of tea and shoved its hot contents down my throat while keeping my eyes on the board. Finally, after much thought, I made my next move.

"I told him not to tell you, so I understand your surprise," Vlad was saying. "But it looks like we're stuck with each other for these next few days. Ironic, isn't it?"

"I'm not sticking around if you're here," I spat back. This time I actually saw him move his piece. He was very swift and exact, no hesitation. I made my next move after a careful scan of the board. "I'm not about to let you turn my vacation into one from hell."

A chilling, sinister smile broke out across Vlad's lips as he leaned forward so our heads were close. A shiver rushed down my spine. "Well, Daniel," he said with pleasure, "I guess we're gonna have to get out of Amity Park to fulfill your wish for a pleasant vacation, won't we? Checkmate."

"W-what?" I croaked.

"I win, in other words," Vlad answered apathetically, leaning back against the couch. His eyes were pinned on me this whole time. They were intense as they bore into my perplexed, scared eyes.

I glanced down at the board with uncertainty. And there it was, my king thoroughly blocked from rescue and in the line of attack. He had beat me. But I didn't care about that. It had been what he had said before the words of victory.

"No, not that," I said with a shake of my head that was filled with jumbled up thoughts. "What do you mean by leaving Amity Park? Why exactly are you here, Vlad?"

"Danny, you lost the game. You don't get to ask the questions," Vlad said. He was enjoying my heated emotions, I could tell from that little smirk in the corner of his mouth. "Why don't you sit down and let the narcotic take effect?"

"Narcotic?" I screamed, jumping to my feet in anger. I was almost in a panic as I leaned across the chess board and shouted into Vlad's face, "What the hell did you do to me?"

"Oh, did I say narcotic?" Vlad said with pretend innocence, "I meant sedative, really. It is only meant to knock you for an hour or two. It should kick in any second now. You might want to be sitting down when that happens. I put quite a lot on the rim of your cup because us half ghosts have a higher resistance to its chemical properties."

"Oh jeez! Oh jeez!" I whispered in a total state of hysteria. I put my hands on either side of my head while my heart rate sky rocketed and my breathing became shallow. Vlad had just drugged me! Was I going to die? Oh this couldn't be happening!

"Calm down, Daniel," Vlad said sternly. He got to his feet and started to round the coffee table to get to me. I backed away to keep a safe gap between us. Unfortunately, whatever drug the man had given me decided right then to take effect. A wave of dizziness engulfed me suddenly. I reeled backwards before falling straight to butt with a defining _thud_.

I sucked in deep gulps of air while sitting there on the carpeted floor. I knew I should have been freaking out, but my body was rejecting all my instincts as the chemical took over at a rapid, relentless pace. I felt my body letting go and getting thrown into oblivion.

My last thought before passing out was that even if I had won the chess game, Vlad originally had no intention of leaving me alone. That sucked. It meant he had big evil plans for my near future. Big evil plans I knew I wasn't going to like.

"Crap," I managed to mutter in my stupor.

Then the darkness overwhelmed me and I was out cold.

A/N: And the torturing of poor old Danny begins with him being drugged. Hah. I think I'd totally freak out too if my arch enemy decided to drug me. Entertaining chapter, though. Vlad is so much fun to write about. And writing in Danny's POV is always a blast. Enough of my ranting! I'll be updating next weekend. Thanks for reading and please review! See you guys next weekend!


	2. Chapter 2 Waking Up To Nightmares

A/N: Wow. You readers are awesome! The reviews were great! I really enjoy reading them. Not much else to say but enjoy the second chapter!

Disclaimer: All Danny Phantom characters are not mine.

Chapter 2 Waking Up To Nightmares

Just for the record, waking up after being in a drug induced sleep _induced_ by your arch enemy is not fun. The second I could comprehend, my last few moments before passing out came rudely back...along with a pounding headache that produced a loud groan from me. Wincing, I pressed the palms of my hands against my forehead in a lame attempt to make it stop.

Obviously, it didn't work.

Although my eyes were still closed to relieve some of my headache, I was laying on my bed in my room. I knew this because I felt that annoying one spring that always digs into my side if I laid on my bed a certain way. But why was I on my bed? Wasn't it Vlad who knocked me out? I had expected to wake up in one of his evil layers. Maybe I read too many comic books when I was a kid.

"Where is your passport?" Vlad asked me suddenly.

Gasping, my eyes flew open in surprise. It didn't help when I was met with Vlad's frown. His standing form towered over me from one side of my bed, and he glared at me for my answer with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Why do you want my passport?" I asked, confused. Then it dawned on me and my heart froze in horror. I shook my head and whispered in fear, "No, you're not taking me out of the States, are you?"

"Where is your passport?" Vlad repeated, his voice monotone but stern.

I tried to go ghost and get out of there as quickly as I could. Unfortunately, Vlad had thought of everything. The comforting white rings flashed over my body, turning me into my ghostly alter ego. I wasn't even in ghost form for even a second before my powers shorted out and the rings returned, changing me back into a useless human.

For a moment we stared at each other. I, for one, had no clue what had happened. Vlad seemed like he knew what was going on but had no intentions of explaining till he was good and ready. I blinked in shock. Now what? How was I ever going to get away now that I was completely powerless?

"Where is your passport, Daniel?" again Vlad demanded to know.

"In my parents' room," I lied weakly. I've always been a pretty bad liar. In a way, that's good. In this situation, it was a skill I wished I had.

"I already checked there," Vlad said, becoming irritated with my flippant actions. "Do you even have a passport?"

I didn't say anything. Before he could say another word, I rolled off my bed on the opposite side he was standing on and bolted for the door to my room. He watched me go with a sigh. I slammed against the door, at the same time twisting the knob to fling it quickly open. A few desperate, futile pulls on it gave me the conclusion.

It was locked.

"Ah, no!" I hissed at the wooden blockade preventing me my freedom. I spun around in search for another means of escape and found Vlad Plasmius standing there in front of me. "Whoa!" I shouted, pressing my back against the wall. I hadn't even heard him come up behind me.

Giving me a chilling smile, Vlad bent down to my eye level and said, "You see that thing on your wrist?" He pointed to my right arm. "It was specially designed for you and your powers by me for the purpose of peacefully bringing you with me wherever I want to go. It negates all your powers, as you have just seen, and it won't come off unless I command it to. So until I wish it, your stuck with it."

I pulled my terrified gaze off his face to glance down at my wrist. I brought up that arm to look at it closely. As I skimmed the shiny black metal over, I could feel my heart rate accelerate. On the outside, it looked like an expensive, flashy wrist watch, complete with glass watch face that clicked in time to every second. But I knew what kind of technology laid underneath the surface. This was bad.

Sighing in defeat, I looked back at Vlad and asked, "What do you want with me?"

"That will all be explained later on," Vlad began. He stood up and briskly walked over to a duffle bag on the floor stuffed with my clothes. He zipped it up in one fluid motion as he told me, "I've already packed all your things and made sure the house looks like it was before I came. All I need is your passport."

"And what if I refuse to come with you?" I asked seriously. "What if I put up a fight?"

Vlad regarded me silently for a moment, debating if he should answer my question. Finally, he said with cold intent, "I gave a watch like yours to your imbecilic father before he left. His has a few ounces of C4 explosives in it. On my command, it detonates. So if you do something not to my liking or provoke me in any way, it will be the last of your father. And don't think I'm playing you, because do you really want to take that chance?"

Suddenly it was hard to breathe. It felt like something had lodged in my throat, and no amount of swallowing was going to get it unstuck. My stomach twisted in apprehension. He was lying, right? Please tell me he was joking.

"Where is your passport?" Vlad asked me. His voice had a dark undertone to it. He meant business. Nothing from me was going to stop him from getting what he wanted. Killing off my dad, someone Vlad hated with a passion, was no obstacle in Vlad's cruel eyes.

"Under my bed," I whispered. I didn't trust my voice. I was busy fighting back tears.

"You go get it," Vlad said. He nodded over to my unmade bed when he saw my hesitation. "It is too cluttered under there for me to possibly find it." I didn't move. It was like I was paralyzed with my fear. Vlad saw this and growled at me, "Go!"

I flinched when he shouted. Sniffing back tears, I stiffly crossed the room back to my bed. I tried to get a hold of myself when I knelt down to look under the bed. It was filled to the brim with old board games, pictures I had forgotten, and junk food wrappers that had never successfully found their ways to my trash can. Most of the stuff I hadn't used in years and had completely forgotten about. One of those objects was my passport. I knew exactly where it was and only had to push a few things out of the way to grab it and pull the dusty thing out.

Before telling Vlad I had found the blue bound book, I looked up to see where he was. When I noticed that he was busy clicking in a strap to my duffle bag so he could sling it over his shoulder, I quickly grabbed my cellphone and sticky note with Sam's number on it off the bedside table behind me. I shoved the two contents into my back pocket and stood up with my passport in hand.

"Found it," I said quietly. I wiped off the layer of dust on its surface. The last time I had used the thing was two years before when my parents had insisted that they bring Jazz and I with them on a ghost investigation in Mexico. They thought it would be fun to drive past the boarder. Long story short, my family doesn't _do_ road trips.

Vlad yanked the book out of my hand, flipped it open to the page of my crappy picture that looked like I was high, and nodded in approval. "Good," he said, "It isn't expired. We can go now." He pocketed my passport and handed me my duffle bag.

"Ready?" he asked me with a sardonic smile.

-Hours Later-

The roaring of a huge plane engine filled the entire wing of the Houston airport. I watched with weary eyes as another plane landed. From where Vlad and I sat, we could see all the action of every plane coming in and taking off at the airport. The whole wall in front of us was made of thick, clear glass. I saw a swarm of people and luggage taxies scramble out toward the newly arrived plane far below.

Vlad and I had taken a three hour plane ride to Houston, Texas, and our next destination was Hawaii. He wasn't telling me anything beyond that. Unfairly, he was leaving me in the dark. It was extremely frustrating! For hours on end I was forced to sit next to him and pretend nothing was wrong. I didn't even have my mp3 player to help fight the boredom or the worrisome thoughts cycling through my head with mind numbing music. I tried to spend my extra free time thinking of ways of escape or how to call my friends, but truthfully, I was too freaked out.

"I-I have to go to the bathroom," I told Vlad while standing up beside him.

The man was busy reading a newspaper in the uncomfortable airport seat next to mine. He looked up quickly at my announcement and stuck me a hard frown of disapproval. I made to move, and his hand shot out. His fingers wrapped around my wrist in a vice grip and stopped me before I could run off on my own.

"Take out that cellphone in your back pocket, and you're welcome to take five minutes if you desire to do so," Vlad said smoothly. He grinned wickedly up at my disappointed scowl. "What?" he asked, "You didn't think I saw you take it out during customs? I'm not stupid, Daniel. Give me more credit than that. I didn't kidnap you just to have you call 911 before we even got out of the States. I've had this planned for a very long time."

"What do you mean?" I asked with wonder. "How could you plan this whole thing for a long time? My dad just told you the other day that my family was going on a road trip."

"Sit, and give me your cellphone," Vlad said, returning his attention back to reading his newspaper. He let my wrist go and opened his palm up for me to place my cellphone there.

I paused, unsure of what to do, which road to take. I could so easily run. Running was simple. I could jump over the airport seats, run through the metal detectors and police, and sprint right out the doors. I bet I could put some distance between me and Vlad before he caught up. I could hide in the city or somewhere even in the airport. Then I could tell the police what had happened. The hardest part of that plan was actually doing it. My dad's life could be on the line.

"Danny," Vlad's urgent mention of my name snapped me out of my vision of running. I looked down at him with a crestfallen expression clouding my eyes. The man stared intently into my face and said slowly, "Give me the cellphone and sit down. Now."

Hating every move I made, I took the cellphone out of my back pocket. I left the number Sam gave me in there. I could use it later on. Hesitating, I placed the phone in Vlad's open palm and sat down beside him, letting out a deep breath that I had been holding in this whole time.

"Good boy," Vlad told me quietly as if he was extolling a dog. He patted my shoulder, and, grimacing, I pulled away from his touch. This wasn't good. I didn't have my ghost powers to get me out of this mess. Even if I did run, I would be juggling my dad's life in my hands which I was no where near prepared to do. And now, my last life line, my cellphone, had been confiscated by Vlad.

The feeling of hopelessness swelled up in me. The bombardment of multiple different emotions of fear seemed to just then break through its blockade and swarmed me from the inside. It was only then that I realized what was going to happen to me. Vlad was going to take me out of the States, and I was going to have to do whatever he wanted. I was being kidnapped, and I was powerless to stop it from happening!

Tears sprung to my eyes as these thoughts overwhelmed me. I tried holding them back, but I was too frustrated, too scared. What did Vlad want with me? What was he going to do to me once we left the country? The millions of questions came and only got me more flustered. What was I going to do?

"Calm down," Vlad said stoically from my side as he read his newspaper. I looked away from him as tears ran down my cheeks. With the back of my hand I brushed them off my face. I couldn't believe I was crying. I was stronger than this, wasn't I?

Vlad almost sounded pleasant as he told me, "If you behave nicely on this trip, I'm not going to do anything to you, and your father will come home to see you safe and sound. Now, stop crying and compose yourself. Our plane is going to be called any minute now. Our flight from here to Hawaii is eight hours. You sure you don't want a book to keep you occupied?"

That last question did it. My frustration came to a boil so suddenly that I forgot my fear and replaced it with a surge of anger. In my seat, I whirled around to face my enemy with a furious frown on my face. My hand shot out before I could think better of it. I grabbed Vlad's newspaper and ripped it out of his hands.

As I rolled up the thin paper in my hands into a tight ball, I hissed at the man, "What am I supposed to be? Your damn kid? Quit the nice crap, Vlad. You might be able to force me to go with you, but that doesn't mean I'm going to pretend to like it. Got that?"

Vlad regarded me with halfhearted interest. We had our little staring game that lasted for a pretty long time. I tried reading his face for any hint of expression that would give his thoughts away. I came up empty handed. Vlad was just too hard to figure out.

"Yes, you need a book," Vlad said finally. He stood up, brushing off pretend dust from his perfect suit. I sat there looking up at him, my anger subdued for the time being. It was like after my outburst I felt good enough to go on. It was weird, but now I felt more calm and collected...as calm and collected as a kidnapped person can be in my situation.

"Up, up," Vlad commanded. His voice was light and positive as he motioned for me to stand up. I stood after a pause and let him direct me toward the bookstore in the terminal of the airport. He walked behind me as we went into the open store with walls filled with bookshelves. The glossy paperbacks that were stuffed into the wooden shelves were organized by author and subject. It was like I was walking into a mini library.

I stood in front of a shelf with teen novels placed haphazardly around the shelf surface, as if the owner of the small store had trouble filling the entire young adult section with books for ones my age. I don't read much. I hardly even read the books assigned to us in school. Spark Notes has been my best friend since middle school. I didn't know where to begin.

Vlad appeared by my side. I ignored him and scanned the shelves with my eyes. He leaned down and whispered into my ear, "You do know how to read, right?"

"Funny," I sarcastically snapped back.

"Well, with Jack as your father, I didn't want to be so sure," Vlad said, grinning. That one stung. But I wasn't out of this game just yet.

"Maybe it was because you were such a smart ass was the reason my mom never married you," I said. This time I let a smile cross my lips at the sight of Vlad's quick frown.

"Do you want a book or not, boy?" Vlad asked me.

Quickly, I chose a thin book that looked easy enough for someone like me without much of a reading history to get through. Vlad watched me as I flipped through the pages and skim the back. I mentally noted that was the book I wanted before putting it back in its place and picking out another. I did the same with the second, the third, the fourth, and...well, you get the picture. With each passing minute, I could see Vlad getting more impatient. It was awesome.

I had effectively wasted at least five minutes with my random searching when Vlad's tolerance with me cracked. He grabbed the book in my hands right out of my grip without any warning at all. He shoved it into place on the shelf, snatched up my first choice, and practically punched me when he thrust the novel into my chest. I staggered backwards, not the least surprised by his actions.

"Always stick with your first choice," he said under his breath. His strong grip dug painfully into my shoulder as he dragged me over to the desk where he was going to pay for my book. No matter what Vlad did to me, I could still make him so annoyed. It looked like I still had some fight left in me after all.

I couldn't keep the grin off my face.

-On the Plane-

"Will you desist?" Vlad whispered at me in a hiss.

For the first hour of the plane trip to Hawaii I had played the innocent, complacent teen for my tired kidnapper. As soon as the plane had taken off, Vlad had leaned his first class aisle seat back and tried to sleep. I had left him with a false sense of peace while I read my book for the good part of an hour. I soon got bored being nice and decided to switch tactics.

So, smiling, I began my torture on the man. I clicked the light button on the armrest a few hundred times to get started. I ignored all flabbergasted and pissed off looks the other first class cabin members gave me and continued punching the button. The whole time, I looked at Vlad for his reaction.

To my inner joy, he abruptly had enough of my childish actions and sat his seat up to harshly glower at me. That was when he told me to stop. I gave him a coy smile, my finger lingering over the stewardess call button.

"What would you do if I pressed this button and told the stewardess I'm here against my free will?" I asked him. I chuckled at his expression of indignation. In a way, this was fun.

Composing himself a moment later, Vlad said with a thin smile, "I know what you are doing." He rested an elbow on the aisle arm rest and placed his chin in his hand. From that position he watched me with amused interest, that irksome smirk on his lips.

"Really?" I asked with another grin. My voice dripped sarcasm as I said, "You know my oh so secret plan of bugging the crap out of you? You truly are a smart one, Mr. Masters."

I could feel his eyes on me as I dug inside the pocket on the back of the seat in front of me. That gaze was unnerving, but I didn't let it show as I searched for what I wanted. I checked the safety packet that told you in a crash that I could use my seat as a flotation device, but didn't find it. I remember thinking briefly that if the plane crashed in the middle of the ocean it would be a great twist in Vlad's evil plan. I'd love to see his face if that happened.

"You think if you bother me enough times that I'll get so sick of you that I'll just throw you out of the car, so to speak," Vlad said as he watched me. "Am I correct?"

I scoffed, "You think my escape plan is really that simple? Give me more credit than that, Vlad."

"You have a plan of escape?" Vlad laughed at the thought.

"Do I?" I asked. Turning toward him, I held up my new prize for him to see. I got settled comfortably back into my seat beside him and flipped open the magazine for both of us to view. I turned to a page showing a map of the world with bold red lines connecting to the different places that particular airline flew to.

"Let me tell you right now, Daniel, I won't tolerate any form of escape from you," Vlad said. I paid him no attention. "Are you listening to me? Danny? What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to figure out where you're taking me," I answered his last question. I pointed to a set of Micronesian islands and said, "Those look promising."

Vlad leaned over toward me to see where I was pointing and laughed. "I didn't kidnap you just to go scuba diving," he said. "Try again."

"What about China?" I asked after some thought. "A few airlines can island hop us directly there from Hawaii."

"Hm," Vlad mused over my shoulder, "I've never been a fan of chinese food. Try again."

"You don't like fried rice?" I asked Vlad in mock horror. "What kind of a fruit loop _are_ you?"

"Don't provoke me," Vlad muttered. I smiled.

"Well, how 'bout Japan?" I asked. "Tokyo is a hot spot for these airlines. Don't tell me you don't like sushi?"

"No, sushi is delicious," Vlad said with a bemused grin. "We might be able to catch a glimpse of your father sumo wrestling if we're lucky."

"Wait," I said, surprised, "We're going to Japan?"

"Correct," Vlad answered. I stared down at the magazine map, silent and somber. Vlad noticed my change of mood and asked with curiosity, "What?"

"Japan is a long way from home," I said softly.

It really dawned on me then how far away from the comforts of my friends and family Vlad was taking me. In a way it was really scary. I'd never even been out of the western hemisphere before. I have to admit I was a little freaked.

Vlad sat quietly beside me for moment, studying me as I stared dispassionately at the map of the world. "It will only be for a few days," he said in his own way of trying to comfort me. "If things go smoothly, it will be less than a week. And if you behave, you will have no problems."

Rolling my eyes, I turned away from him to stare out my window. The rolling sea of white clouds did little to quell the fear in me. "Easy for you to say," I spat back at Vlad, "For you this is a vacation."

"Actually, my entire reason of traveling to Japan is purely for work," Vlad said. "I went to Tokyo two weeks ago because of a request from an old friend. I owe her a favor, if you would like to call it that. But she is paying me to investigate a mysterious case of hers."

"You have friends?" I asked, feigning shock. I couldn't help it, really. Insulting Vlad was the only way of keeping the fear down at a tolerable level.

"You want to know why you're here or not?" Vlad asked, voice flat.

"Go on," I said with a nod. "Am I here to impress your boss girlfriend?"

"You know I have eyes only for your mother," Vlad shot back without skipping a beat.

I stuck my tongue out in pure disgust. "Okay, yew," I said.

"Moving on," Vlad continued with the hint of a grin, "I'm bringing you to help me with my investigation. Your age will contribute a lot when we spy on the people we will be looking into for my friend. Also, you know more about ghosts than anyone in your family. I've been trying to identify a certain attacker for my boss. You might be able to figure out what it is with your background in ghost fighting. Lastly, I need some extra protection. You with your ghost powers will come in handy."

"Whoa, time out," I said. Shaking my head, I asked, "Are you telling me that you drugged, kidnapped, blackmailed, and dragged me all the way to Japan just so I could be your bodyguard? Where do you come up with the audacity for this crap? Are you freaking serious?"

"You will do a lot more than be my bodyguard," Vlad said. "And, yes, I'm serious."

"I can't believe this," I said more to myself than Vlad. I rubbed my forehead because a headache was starting to form. Without warning, I lunged into Vlad's astonished face and growled at him, "You're ruining my vacation."

I don't know why I said that of all things. I think because there was so much to fret and worry about, I had come to the conclusion of it all linking up to my vacation. My vacation symbolized everything good in my life like my family, friends, and a normal teen age existence. And here Vlad was screwing it all up.

After the initial shock of my explosion of anger, Vlad smiled into my scowling face. He chuckled when my frown deepened. "Don't you get it?" he asked me, "You never were going to have a vacation. I'm the one who mailed that Yale University letter to Jazz to get your parents out of the house. I'm the one who ordained Manson's art show in New York. I'm the one who lent some extra money for Foley's trip to Europe. I made sure everyone you were close to were away for at least a week so I could swoop in and steal you away with little to no trouble. I never gave you plans for a vacation."

He said all this as if my life was his to control, as if I was his clay to mold and work with. It wasn't even considered that I could be a person, a human being like himself. I was just a tool he needed to use or some kind of sick game he was playing for fun. Dangerously, he was playing God with my life and had thrown out the consequences and conscience for his actions long ago.

"What would you two like to drink?" the overly pleasant voice of a stewardess asked us.

Vlad and I glanced up and over to the aisle. The lady there was young and pretty under her mask of makeup. Her curly red hair was a pristine mess atop her head. She had one of those trollies filled with drinks, ice, and plastic cups. Her worn out brown eyes took both of us in and our expressions, and her smile wavered.

"Are you two alright?" she asked politely. When she said this her eyes traveled to mine. She knew something was wrong with me. Somehow she just knew. And that gaze of hers pleaded for the truth.

But I couldn't give her a thing.

"I'll have a Coke," I said quietly, shifting my eyes away from hers.

"I'll just have some water," Vlad said right afterwards. "Thank you."

"Okay," the stewardess said with a nod. This time her joy sounded forced. As she readied our drinks, she told us, "I'll be serving you lunch in another hour. If you need anything else, just press that button on your armrest." She gave us our drinks. "You sure you guys are good?" Don't do this to me, lady.

"We're fine," I told her with the most convincing smile I could manage. She nodded, smiled sweetly, and moved on. I didn't touch my drink. My stomach was churning into a twisted knot of pain.

When the stewardess was a few seats ahead of us, Vlad said to me, "You're becoming a better liar by the minute. Good show back there." He chuckled smugly when I ignored him to stare out my window again.

I wanted this day to end. I wanted to wake up and have it be just a nightmare. But I knew that wasn't going to happen. From years of ghost fighting, I had found out reality is ten times worse than anything a nightmare could produce. I was going to have to stick it out.

That thought alone made the plane ride a very restless trip.

A/N: Yeah, so I've kinda experienced the Houston to Hawaii flight myself. Trust me. Eight hours on a plane is torture, especially in Danny's case where he has nothing to do. Poor kid. Well, another chapter comes up next week. See you guys then!


	3. Chapter 3 Airport Blues

A/N: Packing sucks. My house echoes now because we're a week away from moving and we can't bring any furniture and so got rid of it all. I never knew how much crap we had in our house till now that's all gone. But thankfully I have a laptop, so I can update next weekend when I'm in Peru. My poor little sisters have to get rid of their computers before we go. I feel sorry for them.

But enough of my moving news. On with the chapter! It was a really fun one, especially after a really cool review from someone. The reviewer told me I might have been putting in my own reactions instead of Danny's at times. After I got over my frustration and sat down to rewrite a few scenes from this chapter, I'm glad to say I got into the Danny persona and rewrote some good stuff. My first draft was crap compared to this one. So thanks to the anonymous reviewer. You helped me out so much! Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own any Danny Phantom characters.

Chapter 3 Airport Blues

The Hawaii airport in Honolulu was warm and bright. The atmosphere was more optimistic and comfortable than Houston. Some of the walls were made entirely out of wood that had a rich, deep color. Real palm trees dotted corners and made the place not as dingy as regular airports.

But the seats were the same. Slippery and strictly uncomfortable.

Vlad and I were sitting next to each other on these seats for our two hour layover. Both of us were feeling raw from our eight hour flight over the ocean. The man was in better shape than I was, though. He had caught a few hours a sleep here and there, between my torturing sessions. I got to bug him a few more times on the plane, much to his annoyance.

Me, on the other hand, hadn't slept in hours and was feeling the effects of multiple time zones building up. It is amazing how tired your body can be after hours upon hours of sitting. I was ready to pass out at this point, but it was like I was too worn out to do so.

I'd only felt this way once when I did an all-nighter by drinking a ton of sodas and eating candy. After a few hours of that and the wired feeling left me, I had been too sleepy to sleep. I felt dead at school the next day, though. And I failed the test I had been studying for. Never tried that study method again. Well, I felt that way now.

But I couldn't let my physical disabilities keep me from accomplishing what I had set out to do. Having hours to do nothing lets a person think. I had pushed through my anxiety and had been able to think straight on the last hour of the flight. I might not have been able to escape Vlad at the moment, but there were methods to changing that.

"Ug. I'm sick of sitting," I complained, voice monotone.

"Then go stretch," Vlad told me. He was reading a newspaper again, a different one.

"Can I go get some coffee?" I asked. I felt like I was kid. I hadn't asked an adult if I could get something since fourth grade. It was really embarrassing in a way.

Without a word, Vlad opened his jacket and pulled out his wallet from one of the inside pockets. He flipped it open, took out a twenty, and handed it to me while making eye contact. He didn't let it go when I grabbed it. He forced me to look into his face as he said, "Don't try anything you'll regret. Understand?"

"Huh," I said with a nod. I pulled at the money, but he didn't let go. Sighing, I grumbled, "Yeah, I get it, okay? Now let me get my double shot espresso."

Vlad let go of the twenty with much reluctance. "Get me something. Surprise me," he said before I walked off. "And Danny." I turned around. I gave him a irritated frown. "I'll be watching you."

"Paranoid fruit loop," I muttered back, loud enough for him to hear. On the inside I was beaming with excitement. I couldn't believe he had just let me leave his side. The hard part of the plan had gone off without a hitch. I was kind of surprised and admittedly proud of myself.

A Starbucks was at the corner of where our gate was. The green neon words above the store proclaimed to the world where they could get an expensive cup of caffeine to boost them through their next plane flight. Everyone and there mom was there to get the stuff. I have to admit I liked the place too. My parents had jumped onto the Starbucks ban wagon since the beginning. It's just something about the coffee atmosphere that captures people's attention.

The smell of grounded and fresh coffee beans attacked my senses as I walked to the end of a long line. I fiddled with the twenty as I waited nervously for the line to decline ahead of me. A few times I glanced behind my shoulder to find Vlad staring at me before returning his piercing gaze to his newspaper.

I could do this. I just needed to stay calm. I couldn't freak out.

"Welcome to Starbucks," a worn out looking girl droned from behind the cash register. The place had just been slammed. I wasn't too offended by her less cheery attitude. "What can I get for you?"

Oh jeez! What was I doing? Vlad wasn't going to buy this! He was going to find out what I was really doing and was either going to beat the crap out of me or blow up my dad. What had I been thinking? Was I an idiot?

"Are you okay, kid?" the girl asked, raising a questioning eyebrow. She was around twenty with bright brown eyes that studied me with a confident air to them. Her dirty blonde hair was stuffed under her green cap that matched her mocha splattered apron. She shifted from foot to foot as she waited for my answer.

"I'm okay," I answered timidly. I could still back out now. I could just buy two drinks and return straight to Vlad.

No. I needed to do this. I couldn't let the fear of Vlad get in my way.

"I'd like two regular sized coffees with whatever coffee you want to put in it," I said more confidently to the girl. "Whatever is the fastest to make."

"I like customers like you," the girl said with a tired smile. I gave a short laugh. She punched in my order at lightning speed and told me to wait off to the side. Before I knew it, she had made the steaming drinks and set the two cups before me. "Have a great day," she said with a rare, sincere grin.

I sighed heavily. I had the sickening feeling that having a great day wasn't possible. "I'll try," I chuckled with a sad expression. "Thanks." We exchanged money as I paid for the drinks and she gave me change. I shoved the coins and dollars in my front jean pocket after receiving a hopeful smile from the girl.

Quickly now because a fresh set of people were walking on by, I picked up my drinks and briskly walked toward the gate Vlad was sitting in. He saw me coming and looked back to his newspaper. The second his eyes were off me, I changed my direction and went with the flow of the crowd that swept into the main shopping area of the airport.

I found myself surrounded by a group of asian tourists all talking rapidly in their own language. Smiling politely, I walked close to a mom and dad with a stroller with an adorable asian baby inside. I placed the two cups of coffee in the cup holders on the plastic stroller while saying, "I don't need these. Cute kid."

The mom and her husband were too stunned to respond at first. They managed some broken English thanks as I ducked out of the crowd once spotting some pay phones to my left. I practically ran to the small wooden cubicles.

My breathing became heavy as I pulled out my change for the coffee. My hands shook in my fretful effort to work the phone there. I shoved the coins into the slot, took out the precious paper with Sam's number on it from my back pocket, and punched in the numbers. As the phone rang with suspense, I prayed for someone to pick up.

On the third ring, those prayers were answered.

"Hello," a stingy male voice said into the receiver, "This is the Smith residence. How may I help you?"

"Oh man! You're a life saver, dude!" I whispered excitedly into the phone. "Um, is Sam Manson available?" Please, oh please, oh please...

"Sir, do you know what time it is?" the man asked with weary exasperation.

"No," I answered, "And I'm so sorry! I know it's late, but Sam won't mind. I promise! I just need to talk to her for a second. Please!"

"You do not have to beg, sir," the man said with a sigh. "Wait one moment."

"Thank you so much!" I said with genuine gratitude toward the butler or whatever he was. A few seconds later, Sam's voice filled my ears. I had no clue what she had said, it was mumbled from sleep. It must have been three or four in the morning where she was.

"Sam, it's Danny!" I said urgently.

"Danny?" Sam asked with agitation. "Is this your stupid idea of paying me back for me waking you up yesterday? 'Cause if it is, it's not funny."

"No, please listen to me," I said in a rush. "Don't talk. I've been kidnapped by Vlad. He's taking me to Japan. I have no clue why. I just need you to do one thing for me. Tell my dad to take off his wa-."

_Click._

I stared at the hand holding down the button that had just terminated my call. My mind was numb with surprise and fear. I stared straight ahead as I felt Vlad's body right behind my own. With dismay, I watched grimly as Vlad's hand that was holding down the receiver take the phone in my hand. I relinquished the device with an inner groan and he hung it up.

"What did I tell you about doing something you'd regret?" Vlad whispered from behind. It was a vehement hiss in my ear. A shudder ran down my spine. I said and did nothing. I had been caught. I knew I would and was prepared to suffer the consequences. What else could I do?

Vlad ground his fingers into my shoulder and steered me away from the pay phones. A sick pit was forming in my stomach. It churned painfully with each step I was forced to take. I didn't like the vibe that was coming off the man. He was furious. More furious than I expected. This wasn't going well.

We headed for a janitor's supply closet. Vlad didn't break stride as he turned both of us intangible. No one noticed us as we phased through the door to the closet. Vlad stopped me once we were inside. He snapped on the lights a second later.

The small room was dimly lit with old florescent lighting hanging dejectedly on the ceiling. The walls and floor were bare cement. To our sides were metal shelves holding the common cleaning supplies. It was warm and stuffy inside the closet. I had been sweating profusely before we walked in, but now it was because it was too hot.

"And here comes the regret part," Vlad said coldly. That was his only warning.

In a flash, Masters had turned into Plasmius. I didn't have anywhere to go to get away from him, so I slowly backed away as he strode purposely toward me. All too soon, my back found the far wall. My body tensed. Those narrowed red eyes bore into mine with unbearable intensity.

Vlad feinted a punch to my head. Instinctively, I raised my arms to shield my face. As I did this, Vlad swung his fist back and then delivered a powerful blow right into my gut. With a quiet _whoosh_, my breath left me. Vlad let me drop to my butt on the dirty floor, holding onto my bruised stomach. A pained shock expression was etched on my face.

I couldn't breath! Nothing was coming into my desperate lungs. For a good few seconds, I panicked. Then, with a deep, sharp gasp, I had won the fight for oxygen. Choking, I sat there miserably, feeling Vlad's glare on me as he knelt down to my eye level. I had to bite my lower lip to keep in a moan of pain as I lifted my eyes to meet his.

I knew right there that I had made a terrible mistake. I had seriously underestimated Vlad's dedication and determination to my kidnap and his mission for the friend in Japan. I had suspected that Vlad would simply slap me around for calling Sam. I had been dead wrong. He was much more serious than that.

"This device is connected to a satellite," Vlad said. In one hand he held up a small round controller that had a red button in the middle. It looked like one of those projector remote controllers. I eyed it wearily. I knew what it was before he even said, "I press this button, and your father dies. What you did just now gives me all the reason in the world to press this."

This was almost too much. I didn't think Vlad would have gotten this mad with me. I don't know what I would have done if he pressed that button. I would have never forgiven myself, especially over something as trifle as a phone call. He wasn't serious about this, was he?

"You can't kill my dad just because I tried calling someone!" I shouted up at him. "That's ridiculous and stupid! I didn't even get to say anything. You made me hang up before I could get a word in edgewise!"

Vlad's thumb hung over the button. Crap.

"No!" I yelled at him in frustration. I shook my head furiously, worried and confused. "I didn't _do_ anything! Please, you don't have to do this!"

"Apparently I do if you keep deciding that all of this is a game," Vlad growled down at me. "Now, you're going to tell me who you called and what you told them."

I was going to call his bluff. He wasn't going to kill my dad over a stupid phone call. I couldn't believe I was doing it till I locked my jaw, stared him right in the eyes, and said nothing. He glared right on back, his red eyes never wavering from mine. My heart slammed against my chest so hard I thought it was going to bust. I couldn't back down. I couldn't show the fear that rushed through me.

"Fine!" Vlad hissed. He raised his free hand, wrapped it around my throat, and shoved me against the wall with a force that made me cry out in pain. It had been so sudden that it shocked the willpower right out of me. I was having to fight off panic now as my throat and lungs burned from the little oxygen they were allowed.

Vlad closed the gap between us, still holding me up by my throat. I recoiled out of instinct. He held up the remote between our faces and told me in a menacing whisper, "Let me warn you now, Daniel. I will tolerate no more of this. You pull a stunt like that again, and I won't be so lenient. I _will_ press this button next time. I can guarantee it."

To put icing on that cake, which has always been a bad expression in my opinion, he zapped me with a small shock of his electric powers. A short cry got lodged in my throat as quick slivers of pain ripped through my veins and muscles as if trying to tear my body apart from the inside.

Vlad let me go a moment later. I dropped to my hands and knees, coughing and shivering as lingering flashes of pain zapped me. Sweat dripped down my face and chin and pooled below. I closed my eyes to steady my racing heart. I needed to regain control, to get a grip on myself again. That was going to be hard in my weakened, frazzled disposition.

That had been _way_ too close.

-Airport in Tokyo/Hours Later-

I hadn't slept in hours. I couldn't sleep on the plane as it island hopped to Japan. For some reason my body found it impossible. I had finished my book long ago and so spent hours staring tiredly out my window at the deep blue ocean as it sped quickly on by.

It was cool at first. Watching the ocean, I mean. I knew every time we were coming in for a landing because the color of the water would change from a deep, black blue to lighter shades. It would look like we were going to land in the ocean. Then suddenly there was land, and the plane would touch down on an airstrip. The islands were that small.

After around the fifth island, I was bored, though. Vlad and his latest threat didn't help. I was weary from it all. I had nothing to go on, nothing to expect once we landed. My nerves soon got to me. Thinking of escape tactics had become labor-some once again. The only thing I could do was worry. For hours. It was torture.

By the time we landed in Tokyo, I was beyond beat. All I wanted was to find some corner to crawl up in and sleep for a hundred days. Hibernation sounded like a great idea. Those bears have the good life.

The airport was bustling with activity. Vlad lead me quickly through the gates to our luggage pick up. He had been here numerous times. The way he navigated through the crowded corridors told me so. He was alert and precise in all his movements. The only time he spoke was to me, ordering me to keep up with his relentless pace. My little energy was being zapped this way.

It didn't take long for us to find our luggage on the spinning conveyer belt. I strung the strap of my duffle bag over my shoulder, and right away we were off. Vlad had a suitcase with wheels, which made him faster. Following after him, I felt like I was in boot camp.

I was so weak and sleep deprived that my memory of walking around the Tokyo airport was a dizzy blur. I just kept my eyes on Vlad and pressed on through the throng of people. It seemed like an endless haze of bodies and sounds.

Then all of the sudden we were out of the airport. The warm night air of the city blasted refreshingly into my face as if clearing my senses. My eyes glanced upward to catch all the glowing neon lights that blazed through the darkness. The excitement of the city night life energized me. I was in Tokyo! As scary as my situation was, I couldn't help being a little thrilled.

A shiny black limo was waiting for us outside. Vlad confidently walked up toward the chauffeur stationed at the door. The man nodded at Vlad, came forward, and took both our bags away from us. Another chauffeur appeared from what had seemed like nowhere to open the door for us. He bowed as Vlad got in. These guys were good.

"Thanks," I said politely to the guy before getting in. He raised his lowered gaze and shot me an strange look as if I was some freak. Nice.

I had never been inside a limo before, but I knew this one was one of the nicer ones the moment Vlad and I sat down on the long seat on the side of the car. The seats were like personal _La-Z-Boy_ couches with smooth leather lining. The floor was a deep red carpet. Little ornate and expensive touches screamed for the observer's attention. Everything promoted how rich the owner was. It was all very impressive.

It was the person that sat before us that got all my attention, though. She was a tall, thin Japanese woman about Vlad's age but had become more attractive over the years. She was gorgeous in an older woman sort of way, with sharp facial features, perfect skin, and unusual green eyes that took me in like a cat summing up its meal. Actually, all her movements reminded me of a cat. She was captivating to watch.

"Daniel, let me introduce you to my old friend, Katsumi Rin Tanaka," Vlad said to me as he spread a hand out toward the woman before us. Katsumi winked at me as a greeting and flashed me a dazzling white grin.

"Uh...hi, Miss Tanaka," I said with an awkward wave. "Do you guys shake hands here in Japan, or do I have to bow or something?" In the corner of my eye I saw Vlad smiling at me. I guess I was doing a good job as his complaisant captive.

"Oh, Vlad, he's adorable!" Katsumi said with a laugh. "I'm delighted that you finally allowed me to meet your son!"

Son? Hell no! The smile froze on my face with these words. What the hell was going on here? Did she just say what I thought she just said? This couldn't be happening! Damn the evil man!

Vlad suddenly had his arm slung over my shoulder in a fatherly sort of way, laughing with his friend. I was a stone in his grip, still trying to swallow down my shock and compose myself. I was finally breathing again when he said to Katsumi, "He's just been so busy with school. Thankfully you called for my help during his summer break."

"I know," Katsumi said with a wave of her hand. She leaned over toward me from where she sat across from Vlad and I and said, "I'm glad to have you here, Daniel. Do you mind if I call you that? Or do you prefer Danny?"

"Danny is fine," I said with a weak smile. Please don't call me Daniel! That was strictly for Vlad. The man himself noticed this and squeezed my shoulder slightly, just to bug me. My skin crawled under his touch, but I played his good little captive and didn't shove him out of the car.

"Well, Danny," she said. She spoke in perfect English, with no hint of an accent. "You're going to help me out so much. I wish you and your father could be visiting me for something other than business, but I really do appreciate you finding the time to come over here and help me with this."

Her voice wasn't degrading in any way. Whenever she talked to me it was like only us two were inside the room. She talked to me as if I was a teenager, not a like I was a kid how most adults do. It was cool in a way. I found myself liking the lady somewhat.

"No problem," I said with a smile. This one wasn't forced.

"Vlad, he's so sweet," Katsumi told the man beside me. I watched her turn to him and saw why I wasn't totally smitten for the woman. She might concentrate on only you when she spoke to you, but that meant she did the same to others. When she talked to Vlad, I was teen no more. I was more along the lines of a cute pet on the sidelines. I didn't get it. Maybe I just didn't get her.

"Oh, he has his moments," Vlad told her with a sly grin. He looked down at me and we made eye contact. His eyes challenged me to say otherwise. I forced a laugh for his sake. I was going to kill him for this!

"Just like you when you were young," Katsumi said, leaning back into her seat. She crossed her slim, long legs that were shown from her riskily short black dress. She went back into her cat mood as she purred, "You could be so polite while in school, Vlad. But you always had that wild streak."

"You guys went to high school together?" I asked Vlad.

"Oh, we dated for at least two years in our junior and senior years," Katsumi told me before Vlad could answer. Shocked by this news, I looked up at the man beside me. He grinned down at my look of surprise. This was new. I never dreamed that the man could be so...normal. It was easy for me to forget that Vlad actually had a childhood and went to a high school and all.

Miss Tanaka continued, "My parents shipped me off to the United States my last two years of high school so I could perfect my English. We had to be partners first period for English class, and that was where I met him."

"We had to read _Hamlet_ over the summer," Vlad picked up the conversation. "She told me she didn't like it because she wanted the king, Claudius, to survive at the end. She was surprised when I agreed."

"Wasn't Claudius the villain?" I asked. I had never truly read the thing. Spark Notes had saved my life that month when the class had to read it. But I still remembered the main characters and basic plot line.

"Correct," Katsumi said with a nod. She flashed me another smile before saying, "And I told him I thought it would be neat if the villain actually won at the end."

"I explained to her that I believed Claudius wasn't necessarily the bad guy," Vlad chuckled. "He felt guilty for killing his brother, so that doesn't make him entirely evil. It is all differences of opinion, really." As he said this, he pinned me with a look. I frowned slightly at him. What was that supposed to mean?

"And here I was," Tanaka was saying with a sly smirk, "thinking he was so profound and smart. We hit it off right away and started dating only a week later. Of course I didn't know the truth till a year later when he told me that he had read the play a year before and practically knew it by heart."

"What can I say," Vlad said with a smooth shrug, "I was a Shakespeare fan. He is a literary genius."

"I must agree," Katsumi said with a nod. Her emerald eyes suddenly turned cold and sharp as she got to business and said directly to Vlad, "But we're not here to discuss our favorite authors. What did you find while away?"

Vlad went off with information on whatever he was investigating. The adults were two highly intelligent people I soon found out by their conversation. I was left in the dust as they used complex words and constructed their sentences in difficult ways that I had a hard time deconstructing for my simple 15-year-old mind. I was losing interest fast. My sleep deprived brain wasn't helping me much either.

Soon, I found myself nodding off. I must have crossed half the world's time zones in a day. My body was refusing to pay attention to my mind as I tried staying awake, but it was too tired and worn out from recently being under so much stress.

The ride to wherever Miss Tanaka was taking us seemed like forever in the crowded streets of Tokyo. It took at least an hour or two to finally get out of the city. By that time, I was practically dead. I was falling asleep for minutes at a time.

At some point that night, I found myself leaning against Vlad's shoulder. My mind told me to sit back up, but my body was too lifeless to do so. The lights in the car had been turned off, probably for me. I kept my eyes closed and tried falling back asleep until I heard Vlad and Katsumi talking in whispers about me.

"You sure he'll be okay, Vlad?" Tanaka asked him. She sounded a little worried for me. Her tone reminded me of mom's whenever I was sick in bed. I'm not ashamed to say that I missed mom right around then. "He's so young...and innocent."

There was a pause from Vlad. "Yeah, he's a good kid," he said, his voice surprisingly soft. I'd never heard him use that tone. "But I know he'll get the job done. He's remarkably resourceful for his age. You'll see. He'll be fine." I feel back asleep after these words.

I drifted awake again a moment later when the limo had stopped, and I felt someone pick me up and carry me out of the car. I knew it had to be Vlad. Only he was strong enough to do so. I heard more whisperings between him and Katsumi, but they were incoherent to me.

Then, suddenly, I found myself being placed upright on a bed. I lazily looked down at Vlad who was taking off my shoes. I leaned backwards, slowly falling back asleep again. Quickly, Vlad caught my chin in one hand before I could pass out and pulled me back upright. He grinned as all I did was yawn lethargically.

"Come on, Vlad," I mumbled sleepily. "Let me hibernate."

"Hibernate?" Vlad questioned with a raised eyebrow, amused.

"Bears are so lucky," I remember saying. I was so far gone at this point, I could have said anything. Vlad somehow knew this and used it for his advantage.

"I'll let you sleep soon, Daniel," Vlad chuckled. He still had my chin in his hand as he asked me, "How do you feel about Miss Tanaka?"

"She's cool," I answered with another yawn. "You should have married her."

"Why do you say that?" Vlad asked, intrigued.

"If you married her long ago, you wouldn't have gotten ghost powers and I wouldn't be stuck here pretending to be your son," I said all in one breath. Vlad laughed at my childish logic. I smiled myself. I don't know why. Remember, I was half in dream world. Seriously, it was like I was drunk or something. I'd never been that tired.

"I'll let you sleep after this one question," Vlad told me. "Who did you call back at the airport, and what did you say?"

"Oh, I called Sam," I answered with a loopy smile. The promise of beautiful sleep had pushed away all understanding of reason in my brain. "I told her I was kidnapped by you and going to Japan. I was _going_ to tell her to tell my dad to take off his watch, but you butted in, you retard. I still hate you for that."

"I'm sure you do," Vlad chuckled. He brought our faces close, and he said quietly, "Now you can go to sleep. Sleep tight, little badger."

"'Night Vlad," I yawned, passing out the moment he let my chin go and I feel against the soft blankets of a bed. I welcomed my dreams with open arms. Anything was better than the nightmare I was going to have to face when I woke up again. I needed to enjoy this peaceful moment while it lasted.

A/N: Oh I so know the feeling of jet lag. It does make you kind of loopy. Thankfully, Peru is in the same time zone I'm in now, so no worries about passing out for a few days from lack of sleep. The next time I update, I'll be living in Peru! So exciting! My dad told me the house already has Wi-Fi, so I should be able to update when I want to. But if I can't, you guys might not see an update. But I think it will go smoothly. See you guys next weekend!


	4. Chapter 4 Crack Pairings

A/N: I have a longish chapter for you guys because of my stupid delay because of my move. It was hectic, but I don't have the time to rant. My house doesn't have Internet, so I'm at Starbucks right now typing furiously to get this chapter out to you guys. Thanks for your reviews. I can't respond to them because I don't have the time here at Starbucks. I'll return to response once my house it fit with Wi-Fi. Again, sorry for the delay. Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: All Danny Phantom characters do not belong to me.

Chapter 4 Crack Pairings

When I woke up next after my deep sleep, I had one of those weird freak out moments when you wake up somewhere foreign and don't know where you are. For a moment I didn't even remember how I got there. The memory of last night wouldn't come back to me till much later on that day. I shot upright in my thick of covers with a small gasp. My eyes scanned the new room I was in as I tried to steady my heavy breathing.

The place was nice and expensive. The floors were all polished exotic wood that reflected a warm glow from the dim lights that were attached to the light green painted walls. Two wooden doors that matched the same material as the floor lead to the bathroom and outside the room. Ornate Japanese art adorned the walls, and other little, lavish touches accented the room in earthy browns and golds.

The queen sized bed I was on was the same green color as the wall, with deeper green silk spiral patterns on it. The covers underneath were gold silk. The bed itself was like a cloud. I didn't know they made mattresses this good. Way better than mine at home.

A identical bed was stationed next to mine and closer to the door leading out of the room. On it I found Vlad. He had been typing on a laptop but was now staring at me. Apparently I had made a scene.

"Nightmare?" Vlad asked me with a smirk.

"Yeah, I woke up with you in the room," I shot back. His smile never left him as he returned his attention to his laptop. I rubbed my forehead to shake off the sleep with a groan. "How long was I out?" I asked him.

"About a day," Vlad answered. "Did you even sleep on the plane?"

"No," I grumbled. "Kind of hard to sleep while being kidnapped." Suddenly my stomach sent me a sharp pang of hunger. I hissed in pain. I hadn't eaten since the night before Vlad showed up at my house, which was like two days ago now. I had munched on things here and there on the plane, but my anxiety had kept me from eating for so long.

"What is the matter?" Vlad asked when he heard me hiss.

"I haven't eaten in days," I said. I held my aching stomach as it sent me another plea for food. "I'm starving! I gotta eat something."

"It's two in the morning, Danny," Vlad told me after glancing at a digital alarm clock on his bedside table. "Katsumi's chiefs won't be there in the kitchen to make you anything."

I stared silently back at him for a moment, eyes practically begging. At first he only frowned and shook his head at me. "Come on, Vlad," I whined. "I don't need a dumb chief. Just tell me where the kitchen is." I could see that I was winning him over.

Sighing finally, Vlad closed his laptop and stood up. "You'll never find the kitchen in this house," he said, looking greatly bothered. "I'll have to show you where it is."

Grinning inanely, I quickly got off my bed and followed the man out the door and into a long hallway. The place was as luxuriously designed as our room. Whoever Miss Tanaka was or what she did, she had a ton of money and a good taste of interior decorators. I found myself looking around at everything in wonder. The Japanese cultural stuff she had around her place was pretty neat. A few ancient samurai swords and armor was enough to catch my attention.

I soon found out why Vlad said I wouldn't be able to find the kitchen. The place was huge! To get to the stairs, we had to turn a few corners and go down some hallways. I suspected it was bigger than Vlad's place. And that was saying much.

Eventually, we got to the kitchen. It took awhile, but we made it there. It was as fancy as the rest of the house with stainless steel table tops and giant refrigerator, shiny wooden cabinets, and extravagant track lighting on the ceiling which Vlad turned on once we stepped into the open room. He sat on one of the bar stools placed at the island to watch me search for something to eat.

Excited for food, I practically ran around the kitchen in search for the meal I was craving. After a minute of opening and closing cabinets without any luck, I hit the jackpot. I grabbed the box of cereal, found a bowl and spoon, and poured myself a heaping sized breakfast.

"I take you to Japan. You are under the roof one of the richest people in all of Tokyo. You have the option of eating whatever you want. And you choose to eat _cereal_?" Vlad said in confusion as I sat down two stools away from him.

"Just to tick you off," I said through a mouth full of food. I swallowed, grinned at him, and continued to eat.

"You're unbelievable," Vlad chuckled. He shook his head at my strange actions and stared on ahead as I ate at warp speed. I slowed down only when I felt like my stomach had had enough of my cramming and I was feeling full.

The entire time, Vlad and I were silent and stole little glances at each other. I was curious about what he was thinking. It would be better on my part if I knew what evil things he had in store for me. And I couldn't just ask.

Eventually, our glances met up with each other and we made eye contact. I swallowed then quickly returned my glaze to my almost empty bowl. Sighing heavily, I shoved the bowl off to the side, appetite suddenly gone. I could feel Vlad's eyes on me, expecting something.

Finally, I had made up my mind. I spun toward Vlad, stuck him with a hard frown, and said, "Okay, let's get this thing over with. What is it I have to do first?"

"I'm afraid it isn't as simple as you believe it is," Vlad said slowly. "But we need you to spy on someone beginning later on today."

"Can't you do that?" I asked. "Stealth really hasn't been my strong point."

"You watch too many cartoons," Vlad said. "When we say spy on someone, Miss Tanaka and I mean you become that person's friend, hang out with that person a lot or whatever, and then relate what he or she does and says back to us."

I didn't want to do that to someone. I didn't want to fake some friendship with an innocent person for Vlad and Miss Tanaka. It felt wrong and it wasn't me. But, hey, I was the captive. I didn't have much a say in this kind of thing any more. I'd have to do this right if I wanted to get back home. The sooner the better.

"So who is this person?" I asked. I didn't try to hide the reluctance in my voice. I wanted Vlad to know that I hated doing this for him.

"She is the daughter of one of the biggest drug lords here in Tokyo. Miss Tanaka believes this girl's father is responsible for some of the ghost attacks against her business. Getting close to his kid can be as just as productive as getting close to the main target, especially in this case. The daughter's name is Ran Izumi," Vlad said with a knowing, evil grin, "And you're going to have to become her boyfriend."

-Next Day-

"You have to be strong and confident," Miss Tanaka told me.

"But not so confident that you look arrogant," Vlad quickly added. "You do that too often." I shot him a glare. It didn't work.

"Yes, and you need to be smooth around her," Miss Tanaka continued urgently. I tried smiling at her, but that wasn't working either. "She's a very smart girl. She is the top of her class, which is hard to believe with her...unusual habits. But you could tell a witty joke."

"And don't play any games against her," Vlad said. Him and Katsumi nodded in agreement over this subject. He returned his attention back to me and explained, "She is an excellent gamer and will beat you at anything. She gets very competitive too."

"What he means is that she won't consider you a potential boyfriend or even a friend if she is wanting to crush you in a game," Miss Tanaka said. "She becomes that serious. And she hates losers. And you _will_ lose against her."

"If you guys know this much about her already, then why do I have to date her?" I asked hopelessly.

"No time to explain!" both adults said in union. The limo suddenly stopped in front of an arcade building in the city. As I was being shoved out of the comforts of the vehicle and onto the crowded sidewalk, they told me they couldn't afford the chance of being caught to bug me so I'd have to memorize our conversation. Great.

Then I was alone.

The limo had suddenly vanished behind me. I was left staring at the bright and flashy lights promoting the arcade in Japanese. I didn't understand the jumble of symbols that blinked and whirled with life. How was I going to get around without knowing a single word in Japanese? I almost panicked right then and there.

"Okay, Danny, just go into the place and find her," I said to myself. To smooth my nerves, I ran a hand through my hair while walking through the open double doors. I was not ready for what was ahead. Not a chance.

The place was dark, but with the abundance of neon and black lighting from the arcade games that bleeped and flared, the giant room was bright enough to see and make out people. There were kids, teens, and even a few adults of every age and size. Many were boys. Very few girls were there. Even those were mostly just girlfriends and never touched the games.

It was one great big mass of bodies and machines. Pushing my way through the crowd, it was hard to distinct everyone from each other. But I soon found a crowd that all had one common purpose. They were all watching a game.

Somehow I managed to shove my way up to the front of a group of onlookers to observe an intense game of air hockey. It was insane. The poor guy at one end who was around my age was fighting for his life against this girl who was probably older than me. The puck shot back and forth with deathly speed. The guy was timid and just trying to survive, but the girl was hitting it hard and smart. She knew exactly what she was doing.

The game didn't last long. A second after I arrived, the girl scored and won. The crowd gave a cheer for her. She leaned back with a smug smile, shot some sentences in Japanese at her loser opponent, and turned toward the crowd with a frown. I knew who she was from the many photos Vlad had shown me. It was Ran Izumi.

The girl was close to my height, maybe an inch taller. She had a cute, petite body and figure under a storm of colorful rainbow of bright clothing and accessories. Her straight and long jet black hair was glossy and put up in a messy and somehow complicated ponytail. Her dark eyes took in the crowd as if choosing a victim.

"Which one of you idiots will challenge me?" she asked in flawless English. She repeated the question in Japanese while putting one of her hands on her hip that held two or three belts. With the other she took out a cigarette and lit it with a flick of a _Hello Kitty_ lighter. Where do they _sell_ those? I didn't know the cute cat symbol promoted smoking.

No one answered her request for a challenger. Everyone, including me I might add, was a bit intimidated by the girl. I might have been a good air hockey player, but I wasn't supposed to play against her. Those had been Vlad's and Miss Tanaka's rules for me. And I doubted that anyone else in the room was good enough to beat this girl. No one was going to raise their hand. That meant she was going to have to come get one of us.

I took in a sharp breath when our eyes met. It was like the air between us was electric for a moment. A warm sensation had flashed through my body when we made eye contact. It was weird.

For a moment it looked like she had felt the same thing, and I saw her shiver slightly through the bright lights of the arcade. Somehow the interaction didn't scare her in the least bit. She walked right up to me, blew a rude smoke ring in my face, and said as I coughed, "You. American boy. You're going to play air hockey with me."

Crap. One, Vlad had told me not to play against her. Two, I didn't want to with this scary girl. She was going to kick my ass in two minutes. At least when I played against Sam and Tucker, it was funny when I cheated with my ghost powers. But I couldn't rely on those anymore with this watch around my wrist.

"Sure," I said with a shrug I hoped looked smooth. Smooth had been part of the rules, right? Did obeying one let you disobey another?

Ran smiled wickedly in response. She leaned into my face and stuck out her tongue with a silver ring that looked like a bubble in the middle. I watched in astonishment as she shoved the burning end of her cigarette into her tongue to put it out and then swallowed it! What the crap? I actually wondered which one of her dad's drugs she was on. This chick was crazy!

The crowd there to watch had an air of apprehension about them as both Ran and I took our positions on either end of the air hockey table. It glowed a light blue as it blew out cold air from its smooth surface.

I glanced up at the girl and saw that she was already staring intently back at me. Was she interested in me? Why? Was it because I was American? If you searched, they were pretty easy to spot here in Japan. Then was it because of that strange reaction we had to each other from before? I didn't understand it either.

"Call it," I said, throwing a quarter into the air.

"Tails," she said without hesitation.

"Tails," I said with a sigh. "You go first."

"Of course I do," she chuckled as I tossed her the puck. "I always win."

"There's a first time to everything," I shot back with a competitive smile. Ran was acting like a jerk. Of course, she swallowed cigarettes, so she could kind of back her tough persona up, but I was sick of her attitude. I wanted to beat her and shove it in her face.

"Oh, American Boy has some fight in him," Ran said with a mocking laugh. She got into position with her mallet. I did the same. Her voice was serious as she said, "Prepare to die, kid."

_Wham!_

I stared at the place where the puck had just been in complete shock. The crowd groaned for my poor sake. I hadn't even seen the shot happen. It had been too quick. Man, this girl was fast!

Taking out the puck and placing it in front of my mallet, I looked up at Ran. She had her eyes narrowed in determination. A little smirk was on her lips. The crazy colorful lights glinted off her hair and lit up her eyes and face. She was ready.

No, she wasn't.

_Wham!_

"What?" Ran yelled in disbelief. The crowd exploded in cheers. They were all on my side. They wanted to see this girl get beat as much as I did.

"One to one," I told Ran smugly. "It's your move."

Surprisingly, Ran broke out into a giant smile. She almost seemed excited as she got out her puck, placed it on the table, and shot it at me. I returned it sharply, angling it so it would bounce off the wall. She defended her goal just in time. I barely had time to react, but I managed to deny it access into my goal.

Twenty minutes later, we both had scored a few more times. I was winning, actually. By one point. We were both sweating from the extensive effort. The puck was rapidly knocked back and forth. Each hit almost made it, but we had no chance of scoring unless the other had made a fatal mistake. Only then were we able to score on each other. The crowd was growing with time. Everyone wanted to see the ultimate air hockey battle showdown with the mysterious American and the champion Ran.

By this time I was getting into the swing of things and was able to concentrate while talking. "What's your name?" I asked her although I knew it already. I think she would get suspicious if I didn't ask the standard question.

"Ran," she answered. The puck rocketed toward me. I narrowly hit it. "Yours?" she asked.

"Danny," I answered. Was I supposed to have a fake one, me being spy and all? Vlad never said I did. So I guessed it was okay to use my real name.

"What are you going to do when I beat you, Danny?" she asked me teasingly.

"Sorry, but I'm not going to cry over _your_ defeat," I returned, grinning.

"But you looked like such a sensitive boy," Ran said. "I kind of like that in a guy."

"Then you chose the wrong boy," I said. Thinking of dialogue had been too much for my brain. I hadn't calculated a shot from her correctly, and she scored. I sighed while taking out the puck and shooting it sharply back at her. We were tied at six points. Next point wins.

"Where do you live?" she asked me. She was smiling confidently now. She must have thought that she was soon going to win. The girl really did enjoy the rush of the battle. I could see it in her dark eyes. She was alive here, like this, everything on the line, using all her skills to win.

"I come from a little town in America called Amity Park," I answered truthfully. I missed my home and wistfully added, "I love it there."

"Then why are you here?" she asked.

I frowned. Here was were my lying would have to begin. I hoped when Vlad had said my lying skills had improved that he was right. "Um," I said, "My dad had a business trip. I decided to come along." I hit the puck hard. I came close to scoring.

"Do you have issues with your dad?" Ran asked with the curl of her lip.

"What would give you that idea?" I grumbled. Another angry, hard hit.

"You're easy to read, Danny," Ran said. "And right now you're angry."

"So what?" I spat back. I knew my temper was getting the better of me, making me make stupid moves, but I didn't care at this point. I wanted to get my frustration out. Pretending Vlad's head was the puck was the only way I could do so.

"It means," Ran said. I hit the puck hard again. She used the momentum of it for a speedy return. It bounced off the side of the table and into my goal. "It means you make mistakes," Ran finished with a triumphant smile. "Loser."

The crowd had all been disappointed with my defeat and was now dispersing. No one wanted to become another victim of Ran's wicked intent. Sighing heavily, I placed my mallet on the table. I didn't like losing. Especially when I had let my anger get the better of me. Hadn't Vlad warned me about that before? Ah, but who cared what he said? I was going to kill him after this anyways.

Ran was taking out another cigarette as I lingered around the air hockey table. She took a long puff before grinning at me. "You were really good," she told me. "I respect anyone who can put up a good fight against me and hate the ones who don't. You would have won if you didn't get so pissed right at the end."

"At least it was fun while it lasted," I said with a weak smile. I wasn't in a very good mood. And I still didn't like Ran all that much. Something about her and her attitude toward life and the people around her just flashed trouble in neon letters in my head. I for sure didn't want to become her boyfriend.

"Hey, there is going to be a party tomorrow night," Ran said while coming up close to me. She smelled like Jasmine shampoo. It was nice. It would have been better if it wasn't drowned out by the smoke of her cigarette. Why the heck did she find the want or need to smoke? She looked cool enough to throw that bad habit out the window.

We were closer than I had would have wanted it, but managed a smile as our gazes met. Another shiver from her and another hot flash for me. Still strange. Still confused about the sensation.

"I want you to come," Ran continued about the party. She took out a little notebook from her back pocket and tore out a page of the lime green paper. What was with this girl and colors? I'd take me forever to guess which one was her favorite.

"Really?" I asked her, genuinely surprised. "But I lost and wasn't your type."

Ran laughed at me. "You are _so_ cute," she gushed. "The innocent, clueless ones always are."

"Was that a complement, or should I be offended?" I asked.

"Shut up and just come to the party," she said. She took out a purple gel pen from somewhere in that messy ponytail on her head and wrote down the address and time in English for me. "You need to loosen up, anyways," Ran said as she wrote. "And the party is held by one of my American friends, so there will be plenty of booze and pot. We'll have fun. Lots."

"Um...you sure?" I asked, hesitant. I wasn't a drinker or pot smoker. I had ghost fighting to occupy my time and friends to hang out with. I'd never had a reason to get smashed or high. Besides, it was kind of illegal for ones my age, and I was a superhero. They don't quite mix.

"Come, you loser," Ran ordered. She handed me the paper slip with the information on it, winked at me, and started to walk away.

"Thanks!" I called after her.

She turned slightly in her step and flashed me a sly smile. "Thanks for the game, Danny!" she yelled to me from across the arcade floor. She gave a wave and slunk out of the building without another glance back at me. She had a _really_ cute butt, I decided.

Yep, she was going to be trouble.

-Minutes Later-

The limo that pulled up to the sidewalk held only Vlad. Miss Tanaka had other business to do that day, so it was just the kidnapper and me this time. I sat down across from him and relaxed into my leather seat, smiling smugly. My job that day was done. I have to admit that I was kind of proud of myself. Was I going to get a reward for this? I doubted it.

Vlad quickly picked up on my mood. His eyebrows rose in surprise before he asked in disbelief, "You did it?"

"I just threw out all of what you guys had said to me, played a game with her, and got invited to a party tomorrow night," I announced.

"You played a game with her?" he asked.

"Yep," I said. "Air hockey. She won. We had fun, I guess."

"And you got invited to a party?" he continued with the questions.

I sighed, frowning deeply. I didn't want to go to the party. I mean, I could always go and get smashed for my first time and totally let loose. I could fling all my worries about Vlad and the burdens in my life all away for one night of drunkenness. It would be that easy, and I think I'd enjoy it a lot. But you know what, I didn't _want_ to do that. That life was not mine. It never would be.

"What?" Vlad asked. He had noticed my switch of emotions. He was pretty good at detecting my mood swings. It was kind of creepy because only my friends and family could do that.

"I don't want to go," I mumbled, eyes lowered.

"Don't start this, Danny," Vlad said sternly. "You're going to the party."

"I know, okay?" I shot back. I glared at the floor and said, "I get it. I have to go...and I will. I just don't want to. Am I not allowed to complain now? Are you going to blow up my dad because I want to whine?"

"Calm down," Vlad ordered.

"I don't want to," I spat, steaming now. "This sucks! All this sucks! And most of all, you suck!"

"You are blowing this way out of proportion, Danny," Vlad said. "Stop being so emotional."

"I can be as emotional as I freaking want to!" I said. "You now going to control my mood as well? Have fun trying." Sulking, I crossed my arms against my chest and glared out of a window. In a way I felt like a kid on a tantrum, but I couldn't stop it.

"You better not behave like this in public," Vlad growled. I had just made him annoyed. "You're acting rather childish right now, Daniel."

"What?" I sneered at him. "You think I'm going to damage our perfect father and son image?" I rolled my eyes.

"I guess it would be hard to return you to your good behavior from two nights ago," Vlad said with a sly smile. His steely eyes watched me intently for my reaction.

I paused. Oh gosh, I barely remembered what happened when we had first landed in Tokyo! I remembered Miss Tanaka and some of the car trip, but after that things were a little fuzzy. My stomach tightened with the unknown tension. Oh no. What did I say? I had done something real bad, hadn't I?

"You were so compliant," Vlad continued, the smile never leaving his lips. "I could get anything out of you. You're a very interesting person when you open up." We stared at each other. I still hadn't remembered what had happened, so he went on and said, "I thought it odd that you didn't call the police first thing. You must trust your friend a lot."

My eyes widened in remembrance. I had told him everything, hadn't I? How could I do that to myself...to Sam? I thought that I had secured her safety by denying to answer Vlad's question in the airport by calling his bluff. Now I had thrown her life into danger in a single moment of vulnerability. I was such an idiot!

"What are you going to do to her?" I asked quietly. I didn't trust my voice. My head was a swirl of emotions at this point. I was angry at myself for telling Vlad and endangering Sam. I was scared for Sam. Also, let's not forget frustrated at Vlad himself for prying the information out of me.

"I don't have to tell you anything," Vlad said smugly. He leaned nonchalantly back into his chair and put his hands behind his head. Those eyes kept watching me. They expected everything and nothing from me.

"No!" I shouted. "You can't do that! Why lead me on like that and then leave me with absolutely nothing? That's just evil! Tell me what you're going to do about her knowing about me!"

Vlad said nothing. His lips still curled into that sly smile, and his eyes still bore right into me. I stared back at him. How could anyone be this cold? Was he just playing with me again? Or was he serious? This wasn't fair! He held all the cards in his hands and refused to relinquish any. It was so frustrating!

All of the sudden, I had had it. Temper flaring, I stood up in the limo and took an angry step toward him. He stood up too, challenging me with his eyes. Faltering with uncertainty, I stopped in mid step before coming right into Vlad's face, which was on my eye level because he had bent down. I was too angry to think of any other course of action. My fist was tight and knuckle white as I brought it up.

"You wouldn't dare," Vlad said superiorly. We both knew I was no match without my powers. Heck, I was barely one with them. I was going to get my ass kicked if I so dared to touch him.

I didn't care. I wanted to hit something. It just so happened to be Vlad's face.

I threw the punch. All my weight was in the one move. Still smiling, Vlad leaned back and avoided the swing. When I missed, my entire body became off balance at the over extension. Vlad used this to his advantage.

The man grabbed my wrist that was outstretched in front of me because of my stupid punch and used his other hand to shove against my back. He knocked me off my feet completely. As I fell, Vlad brought up my arm he was still holding. By the time I was on the floor of the limo, the man had my arm pinned painfully behind me and a knee digging into my lower back.

My shoulder throbbed in pain under Vlad's hold. I could barely move under him. The more I struggled to get free, Vlad would hold me down harder. This continued until I could hardly breathe. At this point, I gave up.

Once again I'd made an impulsive and idiotic move and found myself under the mercy of my adversary. This was getting old. When would the roles be switched? I had a strange thought that if I was a cartoon superhero, I'd be a pretty pathetic one. I mean come on! I was getting my butt royally handed to me in the back of a limo, and Vlad wasn't even in ghost mode! This wasn't entertainment. This was just embarrassing.

"You have such a temper," Vlad chuckled down at me after I'd given up on struggling. I glared at him, too busy gasping for breath to shoot an insult back up. He twisted my pinned arm upward some more. This produced a sharp yell from me. It felt like he was aiming to pop my shoulder right out of its socket.

"Oh, did that hurt?" Vlad asked me with pretend innocence. He leaned more of his weight down on that arm. I gasped this time as pain exploded in my strained shoulder. This was unbearable! Half of what made it so ridiculous was the cold hard fact that I couldn't do anything to stop it.

Serious now, Vlad bent his head down close to mine and whispered hauntingly into my ear, "Listen to me now, boy, because the next time I have to remind you I won't be so gentle. While we are on this trip, you are mine. You do not call the shots. You do not order me to do anything. You do what I say without question from here on out. And when I tell you that I don't have to say anything about the friend you called, you better control that temper of yours. Understand?"

"What am I? Your dog?" I growled with a heated glare.

The response was instant. Vlad applied more pressure to my arm. The intense pain in my shoulder increased. This time I had to squeeze my eyes shut to ride the initial shock of it out. The agony throbbed constantly through my muscles and burned up my arm.

Vlad never let off my shoulder to let me recoup. He was waiting till I caved into his ludicrous demands and gave up. I wasn't going to give him have the satisfaction of my surrender, though. With a stubborn frown, I set my sights on battling the pain and the evil man.

"You want to do this the hard way?" Vlad asked me with cruel intent set in his voice.

I answered him with a fierce scowl. Bring it on, V-man!

With a wicked flicker of a smile, Vlad lowered his head closer to mine which was being forcefully driven into the red carpeted floor of the limo. His voice was smooth and calm as he told me, "Sam is such a resourceful girl. She's already called Tucker to update him with your current situation. They are trying to make plans to get back into contact with you. I know this because I have my people following her every, single move."

The obstinate frown had vanished from my face as the weight of these words fell on me. It had turned into a natural habit for my stomach to churn every few minutes I was forced to be with Vlad on this little hiatus of ours, but this time it was extra painful as I realized what Vlad was suggesting to me. First my dad, now Sam. Didn't Vlad know how to play fair? Apparently not. I don't think he even knows what fair means.

"With the snap of my fingers, I can command my ghost spies to do whatever I wish with your little friend," Vlad continued. I could see the sick pleasure in the eyes as he told me these things and felt me squirm under his hold. "There could be a car accident. Those are pretty common in New York City where she is at. A broken leg isn't as painful as it seems. Want me to go on?"

"No," I said grimly. "I get the gruesome picture."

"Then what is it going to be, Daniel?" Vlad asked me. "Seeing your friend in a cast the next time you see her, or your strict obedience to me for just this week?" I eyed him wearily in silence. He was kidding, right? He wasn't _that_ cruel, was he? I got my answer a moment later as he said, "Maybe I should throw in a concussion to that accident. Something that will put the girl in a coma. At least that would take the pain away from her leg. Seems humane."

That one did it. Grimacing, I told him quietly, "Please just...stop. I get it. You win. Just promise me you won't hurt her...or dad." I refused to look at the man. Somehow he knew exactly which buttons to press to send me over the edge with anger and which pressure points to hit to bring me crumbling down to my knees in show of pure weakness. It was humiliating on my part.

It was like I had no defense against his attacks. He already knew which moves I was going to take, even ones I hadn't thought of yet. My life was a giant chess game in his eyes. I was being forced to play for my life. Unfortunately, I was loosing miserably.

"I can promise you that if you don't adhere to what I tell you that you won't have much a happy home to come back to when this is over," Vlad said, "But their safety won't always be guaranteed."

I hated all this. Mostly I hated Vlad, but what he was making me do was irritating and opposing to all my senses. But what could I do? Either I had to pretend to be Vlad's kid and do everything he said or my dad could get killed and Sam would get hurt or have something worse happen to her. Even Tucker was in danger if I refused to comply.

I wasn't selfish enough to fight the man. I knew I could easily defy him and see where it took me and the ones I loved, but I don't think I'd live through the guilt. Sadly, Vlad knew this part of me as well and was exposing it fully now. He knew I'd have to give in. All part of his chess game.

"Fine," I growled. My loathing for the man wasn't hidden in my voice or narrowed stare. "I'm yours. Only for this week. When this over, though, I swear I'm going to kick your ass! Now get off me!"

Vlad ruffled my hair with his free hand while chuckling, "Slaves aren't supposed to make the threats, Daniel. You should know that by now."

A/N: Wow, it's ten o' clock here in Lima, and the city is JUST now waking up. No one showed up to Starbucks for hours! It is awesome! Okay, I'm getting off track. I have no idea when I'll have Internet again. My dad is trying his hardest to get it at home because his work depends on it, so I believe it will be soon. If not, Starbucks is a mile away. I need a bike. Oh well. Right now, my updating schedule is a thrown up in the air. I'll update some time next week, but I have idea when. Sorry for that. See you readers soon!


	5. Chapter 5 Shipping Problems

A/N: I've been so busy with our new move, I'm amazed I got the time to type this chapter. I haven't gotten around to Future Mythology, so for the readers of that, I'm sorry that there is no chapter this weekend. But my new home is awesome. We went out with some friends last night and went to the beach. I now live by the beach! So cool! Anyways, I gotta hurry to get this chapter out. Sorry if the wording is a bit rushed at times. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own any Danny Phantom characters.

Chapter 5 Shipping Problems

Japanese game shows are the strangest things. Seriously. They are so different from North America's TV that it just makes you laugh. It was amazing how with the swirl of rainbow colors, cute animals with squeaky voices, and overly excited audience that I was actually able to understand what was going on. Basically it is a TV game show on crack and steroids that is entirely fun and annoying at the same time.

Finishing my dinner of rice with chopsticks, I silently stared up at the flat screen TV on the wall in front of my bed in a mixture of confusion and amusement. Vlad had locked me in our room two whole hours ago without an explanation as to where he was going and when he'd be back. All he did was give me dinner and told me to stay in the room. Much to my irritation, I did exactly what he commanded.

With my supper done after an hour of trying to figure out how to eat rice with chopsticks, I was suddenly bored. The TV and its crack shows was fun at first, but now they were just getting old. There was a huge bright and blazing city out there just waiting to be enjoyed, and I was stuck in a room being blackmailed into boredom. When was Vlad getting back?

I turned off the TV with a heavy sigh. The room plunged into lonely silence. My eyes scanned the walls and the art hanging on them forlornly. My expression was the perfect picture of the saying money can't buy happiness. I was in one of the most expensive rooms I had ever been in and the only emotions I felt was a growing homesickness and sadness.

I missed Amity Park, my friends, and family. I fell backwards onto my bed and stared at the ornate ceiling as my want for familiarity overtook me. If only I could get that stupid watch off me. The second that was possible, I'd kick Vlad's evil butt and get the hell out of Japan and back to the States.

Tokyo was a cool place and all, but I had the suspicion that I wasn't going to like the parts that Vlad was going to make me see. Whatever plans Vlad had for me, it didn't take a lot of brain power on my part to figure it wasn't for the greater good of the people. I was going to make a lot of enemies here in Japan, I knew that much.

With these thoughts, I drifted off to sleep. Vlad had left at around eleven that night, so it was about one in the morning. I was dead tired from a long day of getting beaten by Ran at air hockey and getting beaten into submission by my arch enemy.

It felt like I had just entered the black void of dreamless sleep when I felt someone sit beside me on the bed and lightly shake my shoulder. I cracked an eye open and frowned at the sight of Vlad there. A groan of grogginess escaped me as I sat up and rubbed my sleep laden eyes.

"What time is it?" I muttered. I glanced at my watch and saw that it was four in the morning. "What were you doing this whole time?" I asked Vlad. "Couldn't you have let me sleep?"

"Nothing to your importance," Vlad answered with the wave of his hand. "Are you tired?"

"It's like four in the morning," I grumbled. "What do you think?"

"Always with the sarcastic hostile comments," Vlad said with the roll of his eyes. He took my wrist with the watch on it in both his hands. Instinctively, I pulled away, but Vlad's grip was strong and kept me there. His fingers were cold. Their touch sent goosebumps up and down my arms.

"Let go, Vlad!" I told him with a desperate yank in an attempt to get away from the man. He pulled me closer while shooting me a stern look. I had said the wrong thing. Remembering the conversation in the limo, I changed tactics and asked him, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to deactivate the device in your watch that is preventing you from using your powers," Vlad answered me to my surprise. I thought he was done giving me answers to all my billions of questions.

These words made a surge of hope swell up in me. I was going to get my powers back! I couldn't wait! I knew that Vlad would still have a hold on me with the death threat of my dad and possible injury of Sam, but it would be more comforting for me to have my powers back. I hadn't realized how much I missed them till now that they were gone.

Vlad saw my change of mood and told me with his voice firm, "This gives you no freedom to use your powers whenever you wish to. Only when I tell you that you can, you are allowed to go into ghost form. And even when you are in that form, you are not permitted to use your powers until I say so."

"Jeez! What are you? My mom?" I shot back with a glare. "Way to be a kill joy."

This entire time, Vlad was messing with my watch with one hand and held onto my arm with his other. His fingers pushed the edge of the watch face so that it spun one way as if it was a dive watch. It clicked a few times and then he pushed it the opposite way. It reminded me of our combination locks for our lockers at school. He stopped and went the first way again. I watched him with detached curiosity.

"This will hurt," Vlad said with an evil grin. With a thumb, he pressed in the glass watch face. A tingling, pins and needles sensation exploded up and down my arm. I quickly sucked in a breath and winced with pain. Vlad watched me the whole time, enjoying my agony. He was one sick dude.

"What the _hell_ was that?" I gasped through the pain that throbbed throughout my arm. As it pulsated down to a dull ache, I couldn't keep in a grimace.

"I designed this watch to be genetically synched to your body," Vlad explained as he worked on the watch. "It is attached to you at all times, ghost form allowed or not, until I give it a code to deactivate to your genes. For example, even if you tried yanking it off, it would act like a second layer of skin. Think of it as a part of you, like an extra hand or something. That is the reason why it hurts so much when I have to activate your ghost powers. It has to send every gene in your body the news that it can change form. Of course, it is more complicated than that, but I suspect that you're barely passing biology. Stop squirming."

"That's kind of creepy," I muttered, trying to obey his command but failing a moment later when I pulled once more to get away. I couldn't help it. The thought of having some alien device genetically installed in me was unsettling.

"So is the thought of having ghost genes forcefully inserted into our DNA," Vlad pointed out. "But I don't see you complaining about that one." Our eyes met. He smiled. I frowned. "This will hurt even more," he told me a second before he punched in the glass watch face.

This time I cried out as it felt like sharp needles or knives stabbed me from the inside of my arm. The feeling rushed recklessly up my shoulder. It crippled my arm with its agonizing sensation. Vlad let me go and I leaned forward while holding my arm close. Tears welled up at the corners of my eyes from the pain. My head barely registered the fact that Vlad was patting my shoulder as I gasped through the cutting, white hot feeling of the pain fading away.

When it returned to a diminished ache, Vlad latched onto my arm and yanked me to my feet beside him. Careless as to if I had recovered enough or not, Vlad dragged my stumbling form out of the room and down the hall. It took me a second to get my head back together and keep quick pace with the man.

"Vlad," I complained with his name in an irritated growl.

"We have to hurry," Vlad told me without looking down. "Miss Tanaka is waiting for us in her car. She has work for us to do tonight. This time she will need our...ghostly expertise. Stay alert and close to me at all times."

"Does Miss Tanaka know about...um..._us_?" I felt uncomfortable calling both of us ghosts in the woman's house. It didn't take long for me to spot the mass of security the lady had in her mansion. The cameras were all well hidden, but Vlad had pointed one out once and after that I'd caught some others. She could be as paranoid as the fruit loop, but that might have been saying too much.

Vlad was escorting me outside when I asked this question. Soft light lit up the front of the enormous house from lamps hidden in the lush green foliage that surrounded the granite staircase. The smoothly polished stairs led down to the black pavement of an oval driveway that led up to the house. Large water fountains gushed crystal clear water that cascaded into various pools and bowls in the center of the oval. Bright lights installed into the fountains lit up the water inside and glittered off the beautiful scales of the koi fish swimming gracefully in their basins.

The front door was opened for us by a servant. Vlad let me go as soon as the cold night air met our faces with a gentle, refreshing breeze. I stayed by his side as we speedily flew down the stairs. Miss Tanaka's shiny black limo was waiting for us at the bottom. The door was open by another servant.

As we approached, Vlad leaned his head down toward me and answered my question in a whisper. "Yes, she does know about us," he said. "But she only believes that you have your powers because you are my son. She has no idea who you really are."

"Let's keep it that way," I grumbled back. Somehow I managed to keep in my glare. Somewhere behind those tinted windows Miss Tanaka's emerald eyes were observing us.

We got into the limo and sat across from the waiting lady. This time her hair was put up in a tight pony tail. It made her features seem sharper than before, if that was possible. Her perfect model figure failed to be hidden under another short red skirt and a tight white blouse with a stylish leather jacket over it. She flashed me one of her dazzling smiles when I got seated.

As soon as the limo began to move, her attention focused on me and she asked intently, "How did it go with Ran this afternoon, Danny?"

"It went well," I answered with a forced grin. "I was invited to a party."

"Oh, perfect!" Katsumi exclaimed. She laughed at something before asking, "What is your opinion of her?"

"Uh...not exactly girlfriend material," I put the truth lightly.

Miss Tanaka chuckled at my answer. Vlad smiled down at me. I was putting on a good show for him I guessed. The woman sighed before asking, "What did she do now?" So Ran's character was naturally crazy? That made me feel better. Somewhat.

"So she has a reputation of eating cigarettes?" I asked with a grin.

The adults laughed at this. Vlad put his arm around my shoulders, making me squirm a little with the unnatural touch. For a brief moment I caught Miss Tanaka's thoughtful gaze on me when he did this. It was a mysterious expression I didn't understand. But as soon as it came, it was gone and replaced with a sweet smile directed at me.

"Ran usually does not act like the rest of Japan's girls," Katsumi explained to me. "It is normal for her to be cruel and wild in nature." She frowned here and said severely, "It is very disrespectful. Her actions dishonor her entire family. I do not understand why her father hasn't disowned her by now."

"Maybe he thinks she will turn around someday," I suggested hopefully. Sure, Ran was insane and maybe a few fries short of a happy meal, but I had only scratched the surface of her weird, complicated character. She couldn't be _that_ bad that her own family should disown her. But maybe I was being too nice. Ran was still trouble in my opinion.

Miss Tanaka smiled thinly at me and said with a coldness in her voice, "You do not understand the customs of the Japanese."

Oh. Well, sorry lady. I'll read up on the Japanese culture the next time I want to say something nice. Of course I didn't say this. Instead, I shut my mouth and leaned back in my seat. I'll admit, I was a little put off by her icy statement.

Vlad slightly squeezed my shoulder for reasons unknown to me. My eyes glanced up to his face, but he wasn't looking at me. His expression was guarded and mysterious as he regarded Miss Tanaka. Why would he have to be so careful in front of Katsumi with his emotions? I thought they were friends. Interesting.

"What is it that you want us to do tonight?" Vlad asked, voice light to cut through the tension that had filled the vehicle.

"Nothing serious, Vlad," Katsumi answered with the wave of her hand. The frosty comment had been forgotten. She was back to business as she said, "A shipment is coming in tonight at the docks. The police are not a problem. They have been dealt with. What I worry about is that ghost. It attacked a whole shipment while you were gone."

"The attacks seem less sporadic now," Vlad observed. "The ghost only hits illegal shipment coming into the country. It could easily be a new ploy of the police."

"I considered that," Miss Tanaka mused. "But the police came to the rescue the last two attacks. They could have effortlessly ignored the ghost attack if they wished to. That is why I believe it is another drug lord."

"Like Ran Izumi's father," I piped up. The conversation was letting everything click in my head and the puzzle pieces fall into place.

"Correct," Katsumi said with a brisk nod toward me. "And at this party, it will be simple for you to get information out of Ran. After a few drinks, people can loosen up and slip with the tongue. You will be very useful there."

"What plans do you have for us tonight?" Vlad asked. He was trying to get back on subject it seemed. "Do you really believe the ghost will attack tonight? What do we do if it does?"

"I do not like taking chances," Katsumi sniffed. "All I want you two to do is watch the shipment come in and protect us if a ghost does attack. It would be better if you could see and observe the ghost to find out more about it. Once you know your enemy, it is straightforwardly simple to find its weakness and crush it."

Katsumi's emerald eyes blazed darkly with these harsh words, and a playful smirk turned the corners of her lips upward ever so slightly. Again, she reminded me of a cat. This time she looked like one ready to pounce on her helpless prey. So maybe this lady had dark side I hadn't seen before. Note to self: don't get on Miss Tanaka's bad side.

The rest of the trip to the docks went by quickly. Vlad and Miss Tanaka discussed more about the ghost attacks and drug importing and exporting politics in the area. I decided to ignore them and stared out a window close by at all the confusion of lights and signs that rushed past my anxious gaze.

I couldn't believe that I was being forced to work for a drug dealer. A crazy one at that. Who was I kidding? Everyone related to the business here was a little whacky. Let's not leave out Vlad and his fruit loop ways. I wouldn't be surprised if I turned out a tad bit insane after this myself.

The pier was just as I expected after watching too many cartoons. It was dark, foggy, full of rusty warehouses and shipment containers, and strictly creepy...with two E's. The limo dropped all three of us off and peeled away with a spray of gritty gravel and dust. We had been left at the edge of the docks. Mountains of giant metal containers towered around us, waiting to be emptied or loaded and sent overseas. The breeze that swept off the ocean smelled thickly of salt and fish. It hung in the misty air all around us.

Katsumi commanded the area with an air of confidence and business. As soon as we were out of the vehicle, she strut in her high heels down a corridor of containers without a second glance back at Vlad and I. The man put on a calm and collected presence and followed behind the lady with me, the nervous wreck trying to look casual, in tow.

"Remember what I said," Vlad said to me. "Stay close to me. Only use your powers when I tell you to. Understand?"

"Sure," I murmured back listlessly. I was too busy taking in the sights and smells to pay much attention to my kidnapper. It wasn't like he was letting up on his grip on my shoulder anyways.

Miss Tanaka led us through a maze of shipment containers to the edge of the pier. Suddenly we emerged out from the oversized boxes and found ourselves looking out over the black foggy waters and the old wooden docks that connected to ships ready to be emptied, loaded, and casted off. Their wishes would not be answered this late at night, though. Every honest working hand was gone and replaced with illegal business people and desperate workers looking for some money to feed their families back at home despite the immoral situation.

A crowd of rugged, already hard worked men were standing around a wooden dock that jutted out over the surface of the murky waters. At the very end was a large, long ship that was meant to carry containers across the ocean. I could barely see it through the fog, but I knew it was there from the bright lights that lit up its deck and insides.

Miss Tanaka didn't like the crowd she saw. She stopped with her hands on her hips and a firm frown etched across her beautiful features. Sharply, she snapped some Japanese at the men waiting there. The intimidation was clear on all their faces. No one wanted to step forward and answer whatever question the boss had just asked.

After a long pause from the group of workers, one shy man spoke up for the rest of them. He said something in Japanese to Katsumi, ducking his head as if bowing either out of embarrassment or fearful respect. Why were these guys so freaked out? Was it something to do with the ship or Miss Tanaka herself? Had the ghost attacked without us being there?

"They say a spirit haunts the ship," Katsumi said to Vlad. "They tried to board the ship, but were scared when all the lights came on before they even stepped foot on it. It spooked all of them because they have heard the stories of the other ghost attacks."

"Tell them that Danny and I will check it out for them," Vlad said while striding forward. "Tell them that we are ghost hunters and will find a ghost if there is one on board."

"Sounds good enough," Katsumi said with little satisfaction. She wasn't happy about these ghost attacks. Her business was on the line, here. The lady shouted some more at the group of workers as Vlad and I walked down the dock at a brisk, steady pace.

"I don't have a good feeling about this," I whispered to Vlad. The hairs on the back of my neck and arms were starting to stand, and a nervous pit was forming in my stomach. Those usually weren't the indications of a ghost. Just that something bad was going to happen, specter involved or not.

"I don't like this either, Danny, but I haven't even seen this ghost," Vlad told me quietly. "How are we to do our job if we don't know what we're up against. All we have to do is identify the ghost and leave. We don't have to confront it if is too powerful for both of us."

"Easier said than done," I curtly shot back. Vlad response was a brief, knowing smile. We both knew the risks of high powered ghosts. Why hadn't he bothered to kidnap a Fenton Thermos while he was busy grabbing me?

At the last soggy wooden plank of the dock, we stopped to look up at the hulk of a ship as its looming shadow casted over our human forms. I could hear the slap of water as small waves splashed against the bottom of the ship and the poles of the dock.

In the distance, other ships were heard coming into port and expensive yacht parties were raging on with flashy lights and music that sounded hollow and desperate to my far away ears. No teen at those parties had to deal with what I had to go through each day. They would never have to worry about ghosts and a second life of a teen superhero. I was almost envious.

Here, Vlad ordered me to turn ghost. I didn't waste any time doing so. In less than a second, I'd delved deeply into myself, found the cold, powerful feeling of my alter ego, and brought it to the surface. The white rings flashed across my body. Fully ghost now, I didn't let the holds of gravity keep me down, and my body hovered above the dock by a few inches.

Vlad had successfully changed form beside me. Without another exchange of words, we pushed off the dock and flew up to the main deck of the luminous ship. The deck was covered halfway with containers. It still had to be unloaded or loaded. I didn't know the difference. Amity Park wasn't known for its port, so I never came into contact with huge ships like this one or knew what went on behind the scenes.

"This place is huge," I observed out loud. My head swerved both left and right to get in the full sight of the deck. "And let's not forget about the other levels below this one," I added. "This ghost could be anywhere."

"You make a good point," Vlad said, voice showing a hint of irritation. "We will have to split up to cover more ground."

I looked up at him, torn between my emotions and logic. On one side, I'd be nice to be away from Vlad for just a few minutes. But on the other, this place was sending me a dump truck load of bad vibes. I had a really bad feeling about this place. Maybe sticking by Vlad was a safe idea. He was more powerful than I was, I had to remember.

"Although," Vlad was saying in thought, "I hate to leave you alone with ghost powers. Who knows what trouble you'll find yourself." He paused here and looked out over the brightly shining deck with unease. He then said quietly, "This place does not feel right."

"Same here," I said.

"Check the bottom two floors," Vlad ordered suddenly. "I'll search the others. Tell me if you find anything. I'll find you if I do. Meet me back up here when you're done." He glanced down at me and our eyes met. He smirked, "You sure you can handle that?" It was a challenge.

"I ghost hunt for a living," I shot back with an over confident grin. "This should be a piece of cake. Fruit cake in your case."

"Then go," Vlad said with a shake of his head.

"Make me," I said, crossing my arms. His frown deepened at these words. He took a purposeful step toward me. I could see the furious look on his face as I turned intangible and sunk into the floor of the deck with a playful grin.

With my fingers, I made the universal phone symbol and told Vlad before I disappeared into the floor, "I'll call you."

"Danny, get back up here," Vlad growled down at me. He was surely flabbergasted by my flighty actions. That was the point of my teasing, really.

Laughing slightly, I pushed myself back up through the floor and floated well above my enemy while saying, "Last two floors. We're ghost hunting. I got it. And if we get eaten by something, I'm gonna blame you." With that said, I blasted back through the deck before Vlad could respond to my rebellious attitude. He was going to have to deal with that. When you owned me, you owned a teenager, even if it was for just a week.

Admittedly, I was enjoying my time in ghost form. Nothing feels better than flying, really. Although I was literally liberty challenged at the moment, flying down through the floors of the ship gave me a sense of freedom no one could take away from me.

The bottom level of the ship was really just a bunch of machinery and the huge engines that made the ship move at top speeds through dangerous ocean waters. A complicated maze of pipes ran in all different directions at one end, opposite of the engine area. That part had been easy to search for a ghost. Nothing was there. It was the pipe enigma that served as a problem. Anything could hide in that dark, foreboding jungle.

With each passing minute, my earlier sense of dread grew. To search through the pipes, I had to become intangible and phase through all of them. My weary eyes peeked through every crack and little opening the pipes provided. Each time the space was empty and I was less than happy to move on to the next one.

The feeling of the intruder came abruptly to all my senses. It was like I'd hit a brick wall. I really should have seen it coming. I'd had the growing feeling of something abnormally wrong pressing down on me since I set eyes on the ship. Having it all come down to a final climax shouldn't have been a surprise.

It knocked the air right out of me anyways. I stopped flying suddenly, trying too hard to swallow. A bit panicked from the odd sensation, I tried to phase through some pipes to come out on the catwalk I knew was behind a set of steaming hot pipelines. What was going on? Was my ghost sense stuck or something? I needed some space to get my head back together. The catwalk was the best place for that kind of thing.

The more I flew in the direction of the pipelines, the sensations got worse. I found it hard to breathe. It was like the air had suddenly become too heavy, too thick for my needy lungs. My flying was sluggish and forced as I had trouble phasing through the burning pipes and came out the other side. There, I saw the source of my troubles.

Well, not exactly. At first, I mean. When I first spotted it a few yards away from me on the catwalk, it was just a mass of blurry brown smoke that kept twisting and morphing to look like its surroundings. It was really hard to focus on it. My head was aching at just a small glimpse of the thing.

With much concentration through my deep gasps for breath, I was able to make out a figure in the confusing smoke. It was a statue of some kind. The form of a large, bear-sized man, was carved out of some kind of rock. I really couldn't figure that detail out. It hurt my head too much.

I didn't have time to focus for too long. Too my horror, the rock figure turned while I was staring at it and made direct, cold eye contact with me. A shiver rocked down my spine, freezing me to the very spot where I stood. It's eyes were two sinister, unfeeling yellow little globes that radiated an unfathomable power. It was a power that had captured me. There was nothing I could do. I was doomed.

I could not move.

The fear flood gates had been released inside of me. With relentless force, the icy tendrils of terror spread through me like water from a broken dam being released on a town, devastating and destroying everything in its path. The only difference here was that the fear did not make me move any inch more than my body desired to. The terror wasn't the one keeping me in place. It was this _monster_ staring right into me.

Wide eyed and gasping deeply for each ragged breath, I watched with accelerated heartbeats as the thing turned toward me and reached out a palm in my direction. My body responded without my permission. It slowly began to move toward the hand. But I didn't walk or move a muscle. It was just pulled, as if by levitation, by this powerful monster.

The pace of the pull was lethargic and agonizing. The hold of its gaze was strong and utterly horrifying. I could feel my ghost abilities beginning to leave me as I was forced to stare into those blazing yellow eyes. It was like those eyes were not only controlling my body but also my ghost powers.

And it was trying to crush those powers. It wanted them gone and destroyed. If that meant killing me off, it had full intentions of doing so. It found no pleasure in my destruction or any sympathy. It had no feeling at all. Just like the stone it was made out of. It was beyond terrifying.

As my still and motionless body shifted toward this emotionless monster, I couldn't help but feel like I was dying with each inch I was yanked closer. I could feel it. I was becoming weaker and heavier with each passing second. My vision was blurring and darkening around the edges as I struggled desperately to live.

It couldn't end like this! I so badly wanted to move, to run, to live! My life wasn't even passing before my eyes. Where was cliche finishing to a life I hardly had? It all seemed so hopelessly gone now. I was fading too quickly. Should I keep fighting? Should I say my last goodbyes? I wanted to scream, to cry, to do something! Anything!

"Danny!"

The call of my name flung me out of my death daze in a sudden flash of light. I remember gasping deeply as if taking my first breath after practically drowning in a pool of water. A dark form was standing in front of me, blocking all my vision with its black, protective presence.

There was a flash of pink, neon light. Before my brain could register that it was Vlad's, the man had spun around in front of me. An explosion went off behind him. A heat wave slammed into his back, driving him into me and sent us both onto the floor of the metal catwalk.

Dazed, confused, and weak from my near death experience with whatever that monster thing was, I did nothing but stare up into Vlad's face that hovered over mine as smoke filled the small, pipe filled chamber with a rush of more heat waves. He flashed into human mode with a wince. His eyes then caught mine. He looked worried. No. More than that. Scared? Heck no. Something between the two. Maybe.

"Change back into human form!" Vlad barked down at me. "Do it now, Danny!" His voice was sharp and demanding, but I didn't question his methods. With a struggle, I let the rings cross my body, returning me to human like the man wanted.

Vlad swiftly got to his feet with a firm grip around my wrist. "Get up! Hurry!" he shouted at me as he pulled my stumbling form upright. I somehow got my balance and was yanked forward by the man as he ran down the catwalk. He didn't let my wrist go.

Another loud and ground shaking explosion rattled the pipes and catwalk behind us. Pipes burst from the change of pressure. Smoke filled my lungs and burned them with each rushed breath I took. What was going on? Why were we in human form? Where was that monster from before? Did Vlad just save me?

I dared a glance behind my shoulder and wished I hadn't been so brave. The monster was right behind us. It's craggy rock mouth was opened into an angry bellow of outrage. A blue fire burned inside of the mouth as if personifying its fiery rage. It didn't like having its kill interrupted and looked like it was going to punish both Vlad and I with our deaths. It charged at us at an unbelievable speed for something that looked like it was made out of rock.

"Vlad!" I screamed at the man ahead of me. "It's catching up!"

"Keep moving!" Vlad shouted at me. With a quick yank of my wrist, he pulled me ahead of him and then let me go to run on my own. "Faster, boy, or we're both going to die! Move!"

Scared out of my mind at whatever the heck that thing was behind us, I pumped my legs to go faster. I was practically sprinting for the metal rings that was the ladder upward to another floor of the ship. Vlad was right behind me, urging me on and to go faster.

At the ladder, Vlad took charge again. He leapt over me, using some of his hidden ghost powers, and grabbed onto the second to last ring. Without skipping a beat, he leaned down and latched onto my outstretched hand. The man was deft and strong as he pulled me upward with one hand.

At the last second, the beast skidded to a clumsy stop, inches under my feet. The sudden appliance of its breaks sent it slamming into a set of pipes. They burst on rough impact. Steam filled the already smoke filled chamber, making vision nearly impossible. Vlad made sure I was on my way up the ladder before letting loose a volley of pink ghost rays from his free hand. More explosions rocked the floor below us from this attack.

"Go! Run!" Vlad hissed at me. He wasn't sticking around to see if his attack did any damage. We both knew the chances of it having no effect. Which were high.

The ship suddenly rocked under my sprinting feet. I stumbled forward, but Vlad caught me and dragged me urgently forward with him. Low rumbles of more explosions accompanied the swaying of the ship. It suddenly dawned on me what was going on below. The monster knew it wasn't fast enough to get to us, so it was going to destroy the entire ship! The thing was terribly desperate!

Both of us were silent now. We both knew the full intent of the danger. The only thing to do now was keep moving upward. The two of us were a team as we sprinted side by side down corridors, all the time heading for ladders that would bring us closer to the surface and to safety.

It seemed like it took us a lifetime to reach the top deck. The rush of wind whipped harshly against my fear laden face as soon as we reached the top of a set of stairs. Vlad didn't hesitate in picking a direction. He took off in a bee line for the nearest edge of the ship. I was right at his side. We didn't want to be on the ship when the final boom decimated the place.

As one, Vlad and I jumped off the ledge of the ship. The black vortex of water and sky seemed to swallow us up as we plummeted toward the inky water below. A scream ripped out of my mouth but was soundless as it was cut off by a colossal eruption from the ship. A massive heat wave blasted out of the hulk of the ship from behind us and threw my body forward as if it was a rag doll. The world spun as I was flung into space.

The water felt like landing on cold, hard cement. The impact against the wet surface was rude and obtrusive. I wasn't ready for it. I hadn't had time to hold my breath. My lungs filled with water in a rush of ice and fear. My head spun limply into the darkness that oppressed me. I could barely struggle as my body drifted downward with each passing second.

Strong hands wrapped around my chest and pulled me deeper into the depths of my watery grave. I broke the surface spurting out nothing but gallons of water a second later. I hadn't been pulled down. I was being saved. Strange. And I so thought that I was a goner for the second time that night.

Still dumping out mouthfuls of disgusting water, I felt the hands drop me down on a steady surface. Something hard pounded into my back between the shoulder blades and made me cough out more water. Too much water! I couldn't breathe!

"Breathe, Danny!" Vlad's voice blasted into my ears. He struck my back again. The last of the water squirted from my burning throat and I gasped desperately for air. It came in sharply and tingled up and down my throat. I grimaced in pain, but kept coming back for more as I sucked in the well needed oxygen.

"You'll be alright," Vlad sighed in what sounded like relief and satisfaction. I felt him sit next to me and breath deeply to catch his own breath. He must have been winded from the mad dash and swim he'd just made.

The breeze that had been refreshing just a few minutes before had now become my enemy as it blasted cold air against my wet and soggy form. Shivering uncontrollably, I opened my lifeless eyes and looked up at Vlad miserably. My adversary had just saved my life. Twice. All in the same half hour. Was I supposed to thank him or not? I squeezed my eyes back shut. Maybe later. When I felt like it.

Multiple beatings against wood alerted me to the incoming group of people. The crowd and Katsumi on the shore had seen the whole fire display and were now coming out to help Vlad and me on the dock. Vlad got to his feet as the concerned group arrived. I didn't move an inch besides my bitter shivering. I was so cold and weak. I couldn't stand even I I wanted to.

"What happened to my ship?" Miss Tanaka screamed at Vlad first thing. "Why the hell is it sitting at the bottom of this pier? What did you do to it, Vlad?"

"I didn't do anything to it," Vlad snapped back, resentment clear in his voice. "We can discuss this later. Understand?" The man wasn't happy. I knew it from his voice. It released a cold, angry emotion that I always dreaded to hear. I was just glad it wasn't directed at me.

"I understand," Katsumi growled back at her old friend. There was a pause between the two. Then the lady called out to her crew in Japanese. Her orders must have been to take care of me, because soon I felt hands lift me and multiple arms rush me off the dock and to solid ground.

"I can stand," I whispered at some point. My throat hated me for use of vocal communication and throbbed in pain. But my wish was granted anyways. I was plopped down onto my feet. Somehow a blanket had been found and was draped over my shaking shoulders. It smelled awful and was ratty, but I might have been suffering from hypothermia and was desperate to get warm.

Miss Tanaka's limo drove up next to where I stood and shivered in the wind. A servant stepped out and opened the door for me. Without any hesitation, I got into the heater filled cabin. The warmth didn't comfort and relieve me of my incessant shivering, though.

Vlad was already sitting there with his own old blanket around his shoulders. We stared at each other for a moment. Finally he sighed and told me, "Come here, Daniel. You're freezing to death." I didn't move expect for my shivering. "Sit next to me," he ordered when he saw my reluctance.

Silently, I sat down next to the man. He threw an arm around my shoulders and brought me closer to him. I was too tired to resist. I was just so cold. Besides, he was sharing his blanket and the closeness was lessening the shivering. I stared blankly straight ahead as Vlad rubbed my arm, the friction warming that one spot.

"That wasn't a ghost," I whispered to him suddenly. I could barely raise my voice any higher. It was miserable because I wanted to scream at the man, I was so angry at him. If it wasn't for him in the first place, I wouldn't have almost gotten killed two times in a row!

"I know," Vlad said emotionlessly after a pause.

"Then what was it?" I asked. My throat stung with each word. That was what I get for almost drowning to death. It was small price to pay to say the least.

Another pause. "I have my suspicions," he answered. "This shouldn't concern you, though."

"I almost died," I retorted. "I have a right to be concerned, Vlad. Tell me what you're thinking. It might just save my life next time, you know?" My voice dripped bitter sarcasm.

"You don't order me to do anything," Vlad said, voice like steel.

"You can't do this to me," I whispered pathetically. "This is crazy."

Vlad squeezed my shoulder. "I can do whatever I want with you," he told me with finality. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, no doubt as tired as I was. "Now, no more questions. Let's call it a day." My heavy head rested against his shoulder as my eyelids drifted closed. Another day of captivity was over. It was more worse than I'd imagined. What horrors did tomorrow have in store, I wondered dejectedly.

I was scared to face another day.

A/N: I'm trying hard to get Internet back at the house. Somehow my dad is finding it close to impossible, though. So I'll be stuck hitching rides with my dad to Starbucks when I can to update. Right now, I still don't have a clue as to when I'll update next. It sucks. But the chapter was fun and the next one will be of the party, which will be more fun. Now I'm sounding like a dork. See you guys...whenever. Sorry.


	6. Chapter 6 She's Falling For Me

A/N: Ah, I so sorry guys for getting this out so late. My Internet will come very soon at home, so I think by this weekend I'll be able to update again for you guys. But I love your reviews. Some of you have already guessed what the monster thing is. I love having smart readers. You guys make this fic fun. Again, sorry for the delay. Read and enjoy the late chapter.

Disclaimer: Don't own any of the Danny Phantom characters.

Chapter 6 She's Falling For Me

The breakfast table was deathly silent. Except for the faint clanking of chopsticks on the fine china, there was no sound at all between Katsumi, Vlad, and I. With sour, guarded expressions, we all ate our food without a single word exchanged.

It was the morning after my little disaster with the monster on Miss Katsumi's thrashed, burned, and sunken ship. I'd recovered nicely after my brush with hypothermia and death, but the thick tension in the air was doing nothing to repel my avid appetite. Japanese food was just too good to resist.

I had my own reasons of keeping quiet. So with feverish glances, I watched the adults give each other the silent treatment like bratty, angry kids. Oh, yeah, this was fun. Free food and entertainment. It was a good way to start my morning.

"What time is your party, Daniel?" Vlad bravely cracked the silence with his question. I flinched at the steel in his voice, though, and avoided all eye contact with the man.

Fiddling aimlessly with my chopsticks, I returned sharply with, "Good question. I have one too. But you already know it. It has something to do with that thing that almost _killed_ me last night. Does that refresh your memory?"

"I'm intrigued as well, Vlad," Miss Tanaka said with a cold smile. "Do tell us what happened exactly last night. It has something to do with the _explosion_ of my ship. Does that refresh your memory?" Oh, this lady was good! Numbingly cold, but good. I wanted to give her a high five, but that would have broken the image we had going on with our piercing stares directed in Vlad's direction.

The man regarded us with distant distain as he pondered his answer. I wondered if he was going to give into our frosty demands at all. In the end, he looked down into his bowl of food and told us calmly, "I'm going to Prague."

"Huh?" I choked out in surprise. Where had that come from?

"Why?" Katsumi asked in what sounded like a demand. She was taking it better than I was. While I'd spat out a mouthful of half chewed food, she simply chewed and swallowed thoughtfully. Her emerald gaze was still set on the man and watched his every movement closely. Her face was expressionless.

"It is only a hunch," Vlad answered, his voice still smooth and complacent under our stares. He was careful in his choice of words as he said, "It has to do with what attacked Daniel last night. I have my reasons."

"Very well," Katsumi said with a stiff nod. She returned to her eating before asking more lightly, "Will you bring Danny with you? It would be better for him to stay here while you go. He still needs more time with Ran if this party does not work out."

In mid bite, my eyes raced over to Vlad's face. My gut wrenched in dreadful hope of him letting me stay here. His eyes glanced over to mine for only a brief moment. In that second I knew his answer. There was no way he'd let me go that easily. I was his new captured toy, and he wasn't about to share me with anyone. Selfish fruit loop.

"I already bought the plane tickets," Vlad said with a shake of his head. "I'm afraid he's coming with me."

"Oh, but I'm sure he doesn't want to delve into such a boring, old city like Prague," Katsumi said. She looked over to my helpless form and smiled before adding, "He probably won't survive the jet lag anyways. You remember what happened when he got here only a few days ago."

"He's coming with me," Vlad repeated firmly.

"But we'd have fun together," Katsumi continued with a cute little pout. It was like she was a kid begging for candy. "Come on, Vlad. Don't be such a party pooper. You know I've been dying to see your son. Am I really that bad of a babysitter that you won't let me take care of him for just two nights?"

"He's my kid, Katsumi," Vlad shot back with a playful smile. "I barely get to see him because of school. I'm not giving him up."

"What if I bribe you?" Katsumi asked, grinning flirtatiously. "Would that change your mind?"

"I'm not guaranteeing anything," Vlad said. "But you could try." A coy smirk was in his voice.

"I'm going with Vlad," I said quickly before anyone could say anything else. The weirdo relationship between these two was too much for me. I wanted to stick my tongue out each time mom and dad dumbly flirted with each other. With these two I seriously wanted to puke. Couldn't they have saved this for another time where I wasn't in the room. Ug!

"You sure you want to, Danny?" Katsumi asked me with a raised eyebrow.

I glanced over to Vlad for a fleeting second to catch his warning gaze. Returning my eyes to Miss Tanaka, I lied with halfhearted enthusiasm, "Yeah, I do. I like traveling. And I've never been to this Prague place. Seems like fun." A forced smile was added at the end in an attempt to make it believable. On the inside, I wanted to scream.

"Very well then," Katsumi said with a sad smile. "Enjoy yourself."

"We will," Vlad promised, giving me a wicked little grin.

-Hours Later-

I stared out the window of the limo. My stomach was twisting into a permanent knot of apprehension with the thought of this party I was on my way to. The sky was getting dark. A blazing red sun had settled into its place on the horizon and hung there lazily. The colors that spilled from it reminded me of action movies where someone gets shot in the heart. The heart of the sky had been murdered, and its plumage of blood was staining the perfectly blue sky.

"You're unusually quiet this evening," Vlad said from where he sat across from me. Miss Tanaka had more business to do and so couldn't drop me off at the party that night. I ignored the man's statement and kept my eyes on the dying sky.

"Are you planning something?" Vlad asked. He chuckled at the thought. This got a reaction out of me. A simple glare did the job. "No?" Vlad said, eyebrows raised. "Then why the contemplative mood all of the sudden?"

"At the party..." I faded off in hesitation. How was I going to tell this moral-less man that I didn't drink or smoke? I was 1 out of maybe the 5 percent population of teens my age that didn't do so. I'd always be doomed to dork-dome for my choice of past times, but I was firm in my beliefs, if refusing beer and weed is considered a belief at all. Did he understand how I felt about this kind of thing? And if he did, would he even care?

Vlad sighed and rolled his eyes. He smiled at me and patted the seat next to him. His words were an order when he said, "Sit next to me."

"I'd rather stay here," I growled. I hated being close to the guy. It made my skin crawl.

His narrowed eyes didn't make my option all that pleasing the second after I said that. Grumbling complaints under my breath, I got up and stalked across the cabin. I plopped down beside my enemy with a heavy sigh and glared out of a window. My arms were folded tightly across my chest.

"I suppose I need to lay down the rules here before we arrive," Vlad said seriously. I stared out my window, seeing nothing. He pretended I was listening as he continued. "You're at this party for work for Miss Tanaka. You are not there to party. No more than two drinks of alcohol. No usage of any drugs. Weed is a drug in my book. And - what is so funny?"

I was laughing. It wasn't really a time to be chuckling, but somehow I had found the ironic situation extremely funny. Who would have known that I'd be given orders not to do the things at this party that I didn't want to do in the first place? Still, I really shouldn't have cracked up like that. Maybe I was going a bit crazy.

"Oh man!" I said after calming down. Vlad was scowling at me by now. He didn't find it as amusing as I had obviously. "You sound like a parent," I explained to Vlad. "Even with the whole weed comment. Took me off guard. That's all. Go on. This is fun." I grinned up at him, suppressing a surge of giggles.

"You're mocking me," Vlad stated flatly.

"No, not at all," I lied. The inane grin betrayed me.

"Daniel, this is serious," Vlad said, face somber. "You as a half ghost shouldn't be delving into these kinds of things in the first place. While a normal teen your age can drink five cups of alcohol and be completely fine or a just drunk, you could wind up in a coma from the same amount. Us being half ghosts can make us sensitive or resistant to many things. It isn't safe. I can't allow you to wind up in a hospital tonight when you have a job to do with Ran."

"You think I drink?" I asked, surprised by this notion of his. "I don't think I've touched an ounce of alcohol at all in my lifetime!" I shoved a pointed finger at myself as I shouted at him, "I don't even _want_ to drink! Does underaged superhero mean anything to you?"

It was Vlad's turn to laugh now. I watched him with flabbergasting effort at first. In the end I growled in anger and turned away with disgust. He didn't believe me! I couldn't believe it! Was my generation really so filled with underaged drinkers that people wouldn't believe me if I told them that I didn't drink? I was a bit disappointed with my age group at this point. And furious with Vlad for stereotyping me for it.

"Don't look so put off," Vlad chuckled. "I just found it ironic that I'm preaching to the choir here. No wonder you put up that fuss in the limo the other day over the subject. You don't party. I should have seen it sooner. Then what do you do in your free time?"

"There's a life other than getting smashed each weekend," I grumbled. "It's called facing reality. Better face it sooner than later." I shrugged. "Besides, I have ghost hunting to keep me busy. Too busy." Rubbing my forehead as the worries gave me a headache, I muttered to myself, "Jeez. The town is probably flooding with ghosts by now. This is crazy. I should be there, not here helping my arch enemy."

"Hm," Vlad pondered my words. He had completely ignored my rant. "You might have a philosophy somewhere in there. Ones your age do tend to live in their own little worlds these days."

I snorted in clear disbelief. "Sure," I said sarcastically. "And maybe next year I should apply for the philosophy class because Vlad Masters told me I'd get an A."

Vlad forced my head to turn toward him with a hand gripping my chin. We made eye contact in that instant, and he said with sincerity I had never seen, "I really do mean it, Daniel."

I jerked my chin out of his hold and refused to look at him. What kind of trick was this? I didn't want my enemy's praise. I didn't want him near me at all, but then look where that got me. I was sitting right next to my adversary and talking about my motto on drinking. What kind of game was Vlad playing with me?

"Staying away from things that damage and mess with your brain like drugs and alcohol is generally a smart thing," Vlad told me despite my disinterest in the subject. "In your generation, it is simply a right of passage in a sense. But you choose not to take that route in life. And not necessarily out of morals from being a superhero. You just don't want to. I believe you're smarter than you give yourself credit, boy."

"What?" I snapped at him. "You want a thanks? What is it you want from me, Vlad? I'm sick of your little mind games with me. One second you're kidnapping me and using my family and friends as blackmail to do your dirty work. The next, you're telling me I'm a genius."

"I didn't call you a genius," Vlad pointed out with a smirk. "You're taking my compliments too much to your head." He tapped the side of his skull with a finger, watching for my reaction.

"This is exactly what I'm talking about!" I shouted. "In the middle of the game, you switch tactics. Now you're insulting me. Why? Why do you do this to me?"

"You want to know my motive?" Vlad grinned slyly. He leaned casually back into his seat and observed me with quiet amusement. "I'm sorry, Daniel, but you already know it. And I don't like being redundant."

"You're being impossible," I grumbled. I would have blown my temper by now on him, but the threat from the other day still tumbled around in my head. So instead of punching the man like I was dying to do, I took a deep breath and let it out while leaning forward to stare at the floor miserably.

We were both silent for around a minute. I heard Vlad sigh beside me and lean forward so that our shoulders touched. The feel of his stare made me uncomfortable. Sighing heavily again, I ran a hand through my hair and closed my eyes to calm myself down.

The worrying cycle was back again in my head. Amity Park needed me, but I couldn't be there. I was stuck with my arch enemy instead. And I could so easily escape or resist him, but I really couldn't. I was hung up on the theory of the watch on my dad's wrist that could blow him up and the threat to my best friend's health. Now I was forced to go to this stupid party with a crazy girl who ate cigarettes. There was no way out of this mess. There was no hope for me. Then somehow my thoughts returned back to Amity Park and would get recycled like the cans, paper, and glass in someone's garbage can.

I had to stop the cycling or I'd freak out again. Vlad wouldn't like the freaking out part very much. My reasoning told me that I shouldn't care what the guy thought, but then I thought about the threats again and couldn't allow myself to obey my selfish intentions.

I was screwed, wasn't I?

"We're here," Vlad suddenly said from my side. I was a surprised by this and when the limo came to a stop a moment later. I'd been so focused on my thoughts that I hadn't paid attention to what was going on outside.

I started to get up to leave, but Vlad's hand clamped down on my shoulder and pulled me back into my seat. What now? The glare I shot him asked just that.

"You'll remember my rules," Vlad stated rather than asked.

"No. I'm going to get smashed," I answered sarcastically. "Leave me alone, Vlad. I'll go in, act casual, ask questions, get answers, and come back with some dirt on the big guy. Just like you want me to. Happy?"

"Satisfied," Vlad said with a thin, suspicious smile.

"Good enough," I shot back.

Scowling, I returned to my feet and got out of the limo. It peeled away silently and vanished into the darkness behind me. I took in the sight of the party with shoulders slumping in disappointment. My feet touched the first plank of the long, nicely polished docks. Expensive boats all costing billions bobbed in the mild waves. Inky black waters were cold and silent in the salty, fresh air.

I was at the docks again. This time it was on the other end of the drug dealing. I was seriously going to be driven insane with this drug business. It was like it was following me around to bite me in the butt wherever I went. I hated it.

Despite my anxiety and aversion, I had a job to do. So I shoved my hands into my pockets and walked down a long dock toward one of the biggest yachts in the dock yard, probably the most expensive too. I wouldn't be surprised.

It was obvious this was the right one. Bright, multicolored lights swirled across the blackness of night from its insides as if defying the oppressing color with pure, teenage rebellion. Accompanying and synchronized with the lights was the blaring music. It was a wild techno song that thumped and pulsated with a heavy dance beat. Teens were out on the deck dancing, drinking, talking, and publicly showing their affection.

Yep. This was the place.

A bouncer was standing like a giant rock at the landing of a railed bridge that connected the yacht to the dock for the time being. He was huge and menacing looking with his tinted sunglasses, beefy, hairy arms crossed tightly across his chest, and the firm frown set permanently on his face. He was someone not to be messed with.

Timidly, I walked up to the giant man and said nervously, "I'm here with Ran Izumi."

The man bent down so that we were on the same eye level. He slowly took off his sunglasses to reveal deep brown, soulful eyes that took me a little off guard because he looked like he should have been in the mob instead of babysitting his boss's kid in Japan. I almost jumped when he placed a hand on my shoulder as if we were instantly brothers.

"Be careful with that girl, son," he told me in a deep, booming voice with an accent that sounded Italian. Definitely mob. "Do not make her angry. When you make her angry, you make her dad angry, and we don't want none of that, do we? Understand, son?"

"Yeah, sure," I said, smiling widely in my anxiety. "No problem."

Before he let me go, he said quietly, "I can see that you're a good kid, son. Don't get too attached to Miss Izumi in there. She is too much for you. Trust me."

"Good advice," I told the bouncer with a chuckle. This guy was smart. I liked him. "I'll keep that in mind." The man nodded stiffly once before taking his hand off my shoulder and stepped aside for me to pass through. And I was in. As simple as that.

The party had already been going at it for a half an hour now. To everyone there, things were just starting up. For me, I hadn't spent more than a minute on the main deck and I wanted to call it a day and leave. These people were crazy if they called this fun. All it looked like to me was a group of young adults numbly and foolishly dancing their lives away by following their selfish desires. In a way, they had no choice about it. The world told them this was the ultimate life, so they took it whole heartedly. It was sad.

Before I could find Ran, a guy slung his arm around my shoulders and made me jump in surprise. A group of his buddies and their girlfriends formed a loose circle around me. Half looked like they were from outside Japan.

The guy with his arm around my shoulders looked from the States, maybe from the beaches of California or something with his tan and all. In a second it all clicked together. This was the party thrower, the rich American kid who was Ran's friend. He'd know where the girl was for sure.

"I don't know you, _hombre_," the guy said not so lightly. The main group was suspicious of outsiders, and I was one of them. "Who invited you?"

"Ran did," I answered. Even in our little circle, there was still a crowd trying to get around us, and every so often I'd get an elbow here or a shove there. It was frustrating and kind of rude. "Do you know where she is? I can't find her."

"Ran Izumi?" the largest of the group of boys asked in astonishment. He was African American and was way bigger than Dash. I'd bet he was getting football scholarships across the nation. "Boy, are you in for a treat!"

"Here, love, drink a few before you hook up with the girl," one of the girlfriends, the hottest one with an Australian accent, told me while shoving a red plastic cup of beer into my hands. The group laughed at this. Apparently she had said something funny. I smiled the best I could to humor them.

"How do you know crazy old Ran?" the main guy asked me. The tension was gone in his voice now. I guess I was a part of them because I was hooking up with Ran.

Everyone was eying me up now, trying to gauge my chances with Ran or if I was lying or not. Some glanced down at my untouched cup. I knew if I had to fit in with these guys that I'd have to drink something. So it was bottoms up for me. Great.

"I almost won against her at air hockey the other day," I explained after a small sip. The alcohol burned down my throat. I hated the taste. It was a good thing I had eaten right before coming.

"So you scored a point against her or something?" big guy asked in astonishment.

"No, we were tied for the win," I corrected. Another forced sip. "She was impressed," I boasted. "So she invited me here. Nice party, by the way." The lie had a little sarcastic feel to it that the group didn't pick up. They had already had a few drinks of their own and wasn't as sharp as they would be if they were sober.

"Cool," the main guy said with a smile. "Good luck with the chick, _hombre_."

"Thanks," I said. "Do you know where she is?" I glanced into my cup and saw that half the drink was gone. I could have sworn it was filled to the brim just a second ago. Frowning, I looked at the floor and saw a fresh puddle on the wooden deck. Jeez, I felt sorry for the poor souls who would have to clean up after this mess.

"She's dancing one floor down," big guy answered with a loopy grin. "You better go catch the show." His Japanese girlfriend scowled up at him, and he asked cluelessly, "What?"

I waved goodbye to the group as I slipped away with a grin. When they weren't looking, I threw the rest of my drink into a potted plant. Sam would have had a fit for me doing that to an innocent plant, but I think the ficus needed a distraction. I had a mission to complete. I didn't need a hazy head tonight. Ficus did. Not me. Poor ficus.

Finding the stairs to the second floor was easy, but getting down them was a trip in of itself. Beer cups and puddles littered the steps, making them slippery and treacherous for anyone who was brave enough to trek them. I slipped dozens of times on my way down. The railing saved my life at least five times.

The second floor had more people than the top deck. The room was as big as a ballroom, stuffed to the brim with bodies. This was the dancing floor. Most people were gyrating to the loud, obnoxious music and the blinding lights. It was a pack of sweaty, desperate bodies all moving to their own groove.

A table or platform had been set up in the center of the big room. Three girl dancers were dancing atop them with the most provocative moves I'd ever seen. My cheeks flushed red at the sight of them. Then I recognized one. It was Ran. Of course.

It took some time to get to the platform. The whole time, I had my eyes set on my target. She clearly had too many to drink. It made all her moves loose and seemingly chaotic. She wore some tight jean shorts that showed off her slim legs and addictive cute butt with a brightly rainbow colored, equally tight top that flaunted her skinny bare midriff with a studded pink navel piercing. Her long, black hair was out of its ponytail and swirled beautifully around her head with each move of her head with proclaimed freedom. Her small feet were bare and actually graceful as she erotically danced around on the platform.

As I watched her sway her hips sexually and showed off her stunning body with so much ease and grace, I felt sorry for her. It all seemed like a facade to her, this dance. Don't get me wrong, she was great at it as bad as that sounds. But it was all on her face the way she felt.

Her eyes were closed and an emotionless mask covered her face. It was so different from the first time I'd seen her in that arcade. There, she was bright and stunning. She was in her element when she was kicking someone's pathetic butt. Here, it was different. It was like she was just trying to survive. I liked the scary, evil Ran more than this fake one.

Suddenly, Ran had overestimated how much room she had on her platform and stepped backwards and off the thing entirely. She didn't even scream as she went down and crash landed with a loud _thump_ on the other side. The crowd barely expressed their surprise. For a second I was too stunned to react. What the heck had just happened?

"Ran!" I called her name in alarm a moment later. She could have gotten hurt! I leapt up onto the platform, scrambled across it, and leaned over the edge on the other side to see if the girl was okay. She was slowly sitting up, moaning in pain and holding her head. She was muttering curses for her pain in Japanese under her breath.

"Crap! Are you okay?" I asked her. I jumped down off the platform and tried to get the girl to her unsteady feet. This wasn't good. She could have a concussion. That was seriously dangerous in her intoxicated state.

"Danny?" she asked dizzily. "I didn't think you'd show up."

"We got to get you out of here, Ran," I told her. "You could be hurt."

"Don't touch me, you loser," Ran grumbled. She forcefully pushed me away while saying, "I can stand on my own." I let her go and stood back. She flashed me a triumphant grin before falling backwards.

"Hang on," I said, rushing forward. At the last second, I caught her in my arms from behind. I lifted her back upright with a small chuckle at her pathetic state. She was so wasted.

"Oh, you're still here," Ran said as she slowly turned her head to look at me. "I thought you left. You look cute worried."

"Thanks," I laughed. "And I'm not going to leave you. You're stuck with me tonight."

Ran giggled at my words. "Sounds romantic," she said. Her mood suddenly changed into something dark as she ordered me, "Now let me go." I quickly took my hands off her. I didn't want to mess that that. Boy, this chick could be scary.

Despite her warning, I still had to help her get out of the room. She stumbled and blundered her way through the tightly packed crowd, but at times I did hang onto her shoulder to keep her steady or catch her as she pitched forward too much. This girl was a mess. How did she live like this? Probably on pure luck.

The stairs posed a problem. Ran couldn't keep her balance at all on the slippery wood. I had to take charge of the situation or we'd be stuck down in the dancing pit for eternity. With some force, I grabbed her one arm, slung it over shoulder, and wrapped my other around her small waist. She didn't protest as I dragged her up the stairs. She was in another world in her head. She stared blankly forward, muttering things in Japanese under her breath.

We made it out of the stair well a few minutes later. The fresh air woke Ran out of her daze. She took in a deep breath of the stuff and grinned inanely. I watched her in wonder. I had no clue what she was going to do next.

"Let's go to the bow of the ship!" Ran said with excitement. She wrapped a hand around my wrist in a surprisingly tight grip and pulled me in the direction she wanted to go. She was getting better on her feet with every second, so I followed suspiciously behind her.

People quickly passed on by as she led me through the crowd still partying on the deck. I didn't see the main group of teens from before. They had moved on. The more romantic party goers were here. They were all kissing and touching. Like the kids in the halls of high school but out of control. I kept my eyes on Ran ahead of me, keeping the pictures of them out of my line of vision.

There were a few stragglers at the bow of the yacht. They were all quiet lovers that ignored Ran and I. There were leather cushion seats that came to a point at the bow. No one was at the corner, and this was to Ran's liking. She laughed as she ran up and jumped onto the corner cushion. She patted the one beside her for me to join.

I didn't like where this was going, but I sat down anyways. It was a calm, peaceful night on the ocean. The yacht had left port while I had been downstairs. Now it was anchored in the middle of the bay. The glamourous lights of the city were like fireflies on the distant horizon.

All of the sudden, Ran was on top of me. She pressed her body close to mine from where she sat in my lap. Her face came into mine for a passionate kiss. My mind said no. My body screamed yes. It was an instant battle that raged on inside of me. This was any guy's dream. Hot girl at a party half way across the world without any adult supervision. We could do anything tonight and no one would find out. No one.

It was the hardest thing I ever did. To this very day, I still wonder how far we would have taken it if I hadn't made that decision then and there. Sometimes I hate myself for it. Most of the time I marvel at my strength and thank myself for not making the mistake that could have been so easily made.

"Ran, no," I said quietly but firmly. As she came in, ignoring my warning, I turned my head to the side to avoid her kiss. "I don't like you like this, Ran," I told her as I glared at the floor. This was so hard. So hard.

Forcefully, Ran turned my head around to face hers. She flashed me an sexy, mischievous smile as we stared into each others eyes. I kept my gaze serious and a little angry. If she tried anything else, I was going to throw her off me. If I could. Ran was strong for her size. I could run into problems.

The reaction to each other from the arcade happened again. A warm sensation burst throughout my body. She shivered with delight. We both kept our eyes locked on each other. Her expression was still sensual, but I could see that her eyes were calculating something. She was thinking and plotting about where to take my life. I had seen that gaze so many times with Vlad when he looked at me. Once again, I was the pawn.

"You're no fun, loser," Ran told me while abruptly leaning back and away from me. She ran her hands through my hair, creating sensations through me that could never be fully expressed, and asked, "Are you sure you don't want me to kiss you?"

I had to take a deep breath and let it out to clear my head again. I took her wrists in my hands and pulled them away from me before I could tell her, "I do not like you that way."

"Why?" Ran sniffed, sounding offended. "I'm pretty."

"You are," I reassured her with a vigorous nod of my head. "Very much." No lie. She wasn't Paulina pretty, but she was still gorgeous in her own, exotic way.

She grinned while bringing her body close again to mine. I squirmed under her touch. "Then kiss me," she said playfully. "I don't bite. Much." Didn't she know how to take no for an answer? This was ridiculous!

"No, Ran!" I practically had to shout at her. "This is stupid." I gripped her shoulders and pushed her back away from me. She let me have my space, but she refused to get off my lap.

"Stupid?" she asked me. Her eyes regarded me with distain.

"Yes," I said.

"Why?" she demanded to know.

"I don't want to make out with you, okay?" I made it clear for her. "So stop draping yourself all over me like your some desperate person. It's degrading for you. It makes you look like a spoiled idiot. I thought you were better than that."

Ran looked surprised as she stared in wonder at me. "Okay," she said in confusion. She was back to her old self a second later when she asked one last time, "You sure, loser?"

"Yeah," I answered with a firm nod.

"Okay," she said with a quiet sigh. Her tone told me she was kind of disappointed. I didn't understand why. Why would this awesomely hott girl like a dork like me? It was confusing on my part.

Ran's gaze swept past me and out over the edge of the yacht. Her face was a mystery yet again until her lips broke out into a crazy grin. She rolled dizzily off my lap and stood up on the cushion at the very tip of the bow of the yacht. She was still shaky on her feet, the alcohol making her sense of balance off and completely forgotten.

"What are you doing?" I asked with a laugh.

"Ever see that stupid movie _Titanic_?" she asked me.

"I hate that movie," I said. Sam and I had watched it a few months ago to make fun of it together. We liked doing that with each other. It was going great in the romantic department till the guy died at the end. I mean, what point was that supposed to give to the audience besides that the movie is thoroughly depressing? That wasn't a romantic ending. That was crap.

"I hate it too," Ran said as she ventured closer to the edge. I watched her wearily. "Too damn depressing," she continued. "But there was one part that was so funny it made me want to do it myself one day. It was that scene where the guy was standing at the bow and let the wind rush into him with his arms spread out. I forget exactly what he said, but I want to try it!"

"Maybe you shouldn't," I tried to dispel her craziness. "You're a bit tipsy." That had been an understatement. "And the yacht isn't even moving. That takes away from the effect." Nothing would stop the girl, though, so I let her go.

Ran let out a deranged laugh as she managed to stumble her way up to the railing. She had officially gone bonkers. It was scary. She had this mental look in her eyes now as she looked down at the black water rising up to meet her in a wave. The laugh turned into a demented giggle over time.

"This isn't safe," I told her. "You should get down before you hurt yourself."

"No, Danny, this is fun," she said with a loopy nod. I had never seen someone so smashed. It was as if logic didn't exist in her mind anymore. Barely any of it had occupied that head of hers to begin with, but this girl was screwed up in this state of mind. It was painful to watch.

Ran suddenly turned to say something to me from where I sat below her. The motion set her off balance. I watched in horror as she began to fall backwards. A small scream escaped her lips when she finally realized that she wasn't going to make it. Eyes wide, my gaze followed her form as she plummeted into the black waters below with a giant splash.

"Ran!" I called her name in alarm. My body leaned out over the railing, and my eyes desperately searched for the girl. It was then when I remembered that she could have a concussion. The impact with the water could have made her black out. There was a good chance she wasn't going to swim to the surface.

"Crap!" I hissed. I jumped off the seat and yanked off my shoes. "Not again! I hate this stupid job!" I hopped back up onto the seat and looked down over the edge to see where Ran had landed and where I needed to fall. Taking a deep breath, I leapt right over the railing, feet first.

This was going to be cold.

A/N: It just keeps getting worse for poor old ghost boy. I don't give him much luck in this fan fiction, do I? Well, I already have half of the next chapter typed, and if I get Internet at my house as soon as I think I will, this weekend I'll update again for you guys. See you guys then. Thanks for your reviews. I'd love to respond to them personally, but I just don't have the time. Sorry for that. I'll be back this weekend.


	7. Chapter 7 How To Save a Life

A/N: Weekends in the city are so busy for me! In PA I might go see a movie or something or hang with friends, but here there is so much to do and people ONLY do it on weekends. So I'm sorry for this coming out late this weekend. Hopefully with the Internet now up and running at my house I can get back into my groove and update on time. And thank you for all your reviews. I'll try to get to them this week. Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Danny Phantom characters you may see in this fan fic.

Chapter 7 How To Save a Life

The impact was just as rude and cold as the night before. The only difference was that this time I was the one doing the rescuing as my body smashed into the wet, black void. I couldn't see a thing the minute I hit the water. How was I going to find Ran?

Guessing where Ran had landed, I took another deep breath before diving down into the depths. Luckily, my fingers found Ran's body my first try. I pushed my body deeper into the water with a sharp kick of my legs. My arms wrapped around Ran's waist, and I began pushing toward the surface. By then I was loosing air. I wasn't that great at holding my breath or swimming, but thankfully adrenaline fixes the swimming part for you.

We broke the surface a second later. I gasped for air, sucked it in, and dunked back into the water as Ran's extra weight pulled me down. I had to fight with all my strength to keep myself above the surface and swim my way around the yacht. Through my coughing and sputtering, I found a lifeboat on the side of the yacht that was held up by ropes a few feet above the water.

Why did Vlad have to be so paranoid that he deactivated my ghost powers last night when we got back to Miss Tanaka's house? It were times like these that flying and ghost strength really came in handy. But no. I was reduced to an incompetent human as I struggled with all my might and desperation to grab onto the side of the lifeboat and pull my soggy body up and into it while still hanging onto a limp Ran. But, really, it was all thanks to adrenaline.

With a final grunt, I heaved Ran into the lifeboat with me. We were both sopping wet and cold. My hair hung into my face as I quickly laid Ran's lifeless body out. I checked her pulse, mentally thanking my health teacher from two years before for teaching us rescue stuff like this. It was low. The only thing to do was pump the water out of her lungs and stomach and hope for the best.

I did what Vlad had done to me the other night. Turning Ran onto her back was a hassle, but I didn't hold back as I whacked the sole of my hand against her back. On the first try, she spurted up gallons of water. A smile of relief came to my face before I smacked her another time. She was chocking and hacking on the salty liquid. At least she was awake now and living. It was good to know that I could save lives even if I didn't have powers.

"What the hell just happened?" Ran choked out with a grimace. Yeah. That sore throat was going to be a pain in the butt for her for the next few hours. She looked at me in bafflement and wonder, her face and hair still streaking drops of water.

Sighing heavily with relief, I dumped my body down into the lifeboat and closed my weary eyes. As I gasped to regain my breath, I wondered what would have happened if Ran had died. Vlad would have had my head. That wasn't a good thought. It would be that, and I'd have an entire empire of a drug dealer out to get what was left of my body after Vlad was finished with it.

"Did I die?" Ran asked no one in particular. "Where the hell are we?"

"You decided to be an idiot and fell off the yacht," I growled back at her, eyes still closed. "I dived in after you and rescued you. You're welcome." At this point, I didn't care that my anger was showing. I had been the good guy and went through crap to take care of this girl...and my butt was freezing off. I was not in a good mood.

Ran laughed at my answer. I frowned at her reaction, but besides that, I ignored her. She shivered as she pushed herself off the seat she had been on and sat on the floor of the lifeboat next to me. Her small body warmed mine as she snuggled close to me, still laughing.

"My own personal Superman," she giggled once calming down. "This is fun."

"No," I said, shaking my head profusely, "It's not fun. If it was, I wouldn't be freezing to death. This is hypothermia."

Ran sighed beside me. She had caught the sarcastic and furious tone in my voice. "Do you even like me?" she asked. Her head turned to look at my face. Oops. I had said too much of the truth. With my silence, she pinned me with a hard look and asked, "Why did you even come to this party if you didn't like me in the first place, loser?"

"Ug! Will you stop calling me that?" I impulsively yelled at her. "I'm not a loser!"

"Yes you are!" Ran spat back, suddenly enraged. It was the first time I'd seen her angry. Her dark gaze glowered ahead as she hissed, "You flirt with me in that arcade, act all cute and all, then show up to the party I invited you to and you don't want to do anything with me. Now I find out you don't even like me. Let's be honest. You're a jerk. A jerk and freaking loser!"

What the heck was wrong with this girl? She was driving me up the wall so much that my frustration had come to a boil inside me. My anger could not be turned off. I just spouted out whatever was on my mind.

"I just saved your life!" I shouted into her face. "I deserve a thanks. But no! All I get from you are insults. You are the most _selfish_ person I have ever met!"

Ran shook her head, disgusted and pouty. She took out a soggy pack of cigarettes from her back pocket, shook some of the water off it, and shoved a wet and droopy one into her mouth. I watched her in astonishment when she fumbled with her lighter. She cursed multiple times in Japanese as the lighter refused to light the cigarette after a few clicks of the thing.

"I can't stand this anymore," I grumbled finally. My arm acted without any thought. It grabbed the cigarette and lighter right out of mouth and hand. With a fed up grunt, I flung the contents into the ocean for good. "It's a bad habit," I told her, leaning back beside her. "It can kill you. There, I just saved your life a second time tonight. You should be worshiping me."

"That lighter cost me a fortune," Ran muttered under her breath with loathing. She glared at me and seethed, "Why the hell did you do that?"

"Because you're better than that," I retorted, pointing out to the ocean where her bad habit was gone forever. "You are so stupid if you believe you look cool smoking. You look cool already. Back at the arcade, you looked awesome. You know that, right?"

I think I had snapped. Something had come over me. As Ran stared at me blankly, I went on and on in a rant. "I thought you were brilliant yesterday," I said. "You were smart when you played. And you were funny and sarcastic. You were yourself in that arcade. It was so cool to see you in that element because you were original and yourself.

"Then I come here and find you already drank your body weight in beer after only a half an hour of partying. You're drunk and dancing like some zombie. All you were was someone pretty in a crowd full of pretty people. That wasn't you. You're killing yourself with this stupid, superficial life. And no one is going to be around to bring you back to life when I'm gone, I can promise you that."

The release was nice. You know how therapeutic telling the truth can be? It felt like something that had been pressing down on my chest had been lifted with each sentence, as cliche as it sounds. But that is the truth. I felt surprisingly good after I was done...until I saw Ran's face. Then I felt awful.

The girl had a mixed look of shock, anger, sadness, and emptiness on her face. I'd never counted so many distinct emotions on someone before, but Ran managed to pull them off. Right when I thought she was going to say something back at me, she grabbed the edge of the lifeboat above us, pulled herself up and halfway over, and puked her guts out into the ocean.

"Wow," I muttered to myself. "I didn't think I was _that_ mean to her."

After a few minutes of nothing but the sound of retching and gagging and the reeking smell of vomit, Ran was done with her episode and collapsed, exhausted, beside me once again. She refused to look at me and stared out at the light filled horizon with a sense of bitter familiarity. Maybe she hadn't heard me at all and the throw up was all because of her drunken state or concussion.

"You shouldn't have saved me today," she whispered emotionlessly. "No one would have cared if I had died. You didn't have to do a thing. It would have been that easy."

"Are you crazy?" I asked her with a snort of disbelief. "I might not like you very much, but I couldn't just pretend that you fell off the boat. That would just be mean."

"Did you see anyone else besides yourself who would have jumped in after me?" Ran asked. Her tone was flat. Her eyes stayed on their spot on the horizon.

I paused. Thinking back, I didn't remember anyone getting up to see what the splash was for. No one had noticed her come or go. With this, I sighed in defeat. "No," I said quietly. "There was only me."

"I like you, Danny, because you aren't like me or these other guys," Ran told me bitterly. "It was like you were born with some genetic disorder where you just choose to be good. You want to know something? You could so _easily_ be like me, but these people and I could never return to be like you.

"It makes you stand out in a good and bad way. On one hand, you will never fit into your generation. But on the other, you will make it in life. You are going to like yourself after these next few years so much more than any of us will." She gave a short, humorless laugh here before adding, "Most of us don't even like ourselves now."

My eyes traveled to our feet, both bare and turning purple. These words were deep and driven with such hidden emotion that it had thrown me into a sudden silence. What do you say after hearing something like that?

"You are so freaking cold," Ran said, abruptly killing the contemplative quietness we had just shared. She was shivering uncontrollably by now, and her teeth chattered noisily. It looked like she was the one who was cold.

"Huh?" I spoke up. Somehow I didn't feel as cold as she claimed me to be. Of course I was freezing and wet, but not as bad as the other night. Maybe I'd gotten an immunity from it.

"Nothing," Ran said quickly. Still shivering, she rested her head against my shoulder and scooted closer to me despite the fact that she said I was making her suffer hypothermia. That was crazy old Ran alright.

"Maybe we should get out of here," I sighed. "Soon you'll be getting frostbite or something. You need a blanket at least."

"No," Ran said sternly, "We're staying here for just a few more minutes." Her slender fingers clutched the soggy fabric of my shirt as she asked, "You came here for me, right?"

"Yeah," I answered reluctantly. I really hoped she wouldn't come at me again with a kiss. Round one had been hard enough as it was. I didn't think I'd survive another.

"Then let's talk," Ran said as if the sentence had never been spoken from her lips before. It was foreign in her pierced-tongued mouth. I almost laughed at the clumsy matter she had said it in.

"Okay," I said with some thought. I couldn't believe she was doing this...and for me. She was struggling with all her might to make me like or maybe even love her. It was all very strange. "What do you do if you aren't getting smashed or kicking some innocent kid's butt at the arcade?" I asked her.

A wicked gleam flashed into Ran's dark eyes as her answer came to her head. With some pride, she answered, "I hack."

"Hack what?" I asked in confusion. Hopefully she wouldn't say she hacked peoples' heads off, but maybe that was asking for too much.

"I'm a hacker," she explained. "Mostly I just create viruses for fun and screw with other people's computers if they have a somewhat challenging security system. But I've hacked into everything. You know this one time I wired a million dollars to this account I made. First I sent it to thousands of different accounts before I put it in mine. It has been a whole year since then and many other transfers, and still I use that account. The president of the United States doesn't have very good security on his one bank account. Remember that."

"Are you serious?" I choked out in complete shock.

"I admit, the beginning was really hard to crack," Ran said in thought. "It took me two days to pry it open. Then suddenly it was like every other bank account, and from there it was smooth sailing."

"So you do this a lot?" I asked. A red flag was waving around in my head about this subject, but I ignored it. My morals told me that hacking was wrong, but this was some fascinating stuff. I laughed when she nodded with a rare, genuine smile. "When did you figure you were good at it?"

"Okay," Ran began her story with excitement. She liked talking about herself. Maybe it was the booze. "I'm the top of my class in school. Supposedly, I'm like the smartest person to walk the halls. A teacher announces a test, I get almost perfect to 100 percent grades on them. I'm a freaking genius! I love it!"

She laughed wickedly at her position in school before continuing. I stared at her in wonder as she said, "The only problem to the system I've created to make myself a perfect student are pop quizzes. You know why?" She didn't let me answer. "The teachers make their tests on their computers. The morning of the test, all I have to do is turn on my lap top, type a few keys, and I'm into my teacher's computer and seeing the test. I quickly memorize all the answers. Easy A. And everyone thinks I'm so smart. All I did was turn on my computer. I was nine when I first pulled the stunt off. Now it is a daily ritual."

"Whoa."

It was all I could express at the time. If she could do that at nine, then she had to be one of the best hackers in the world by now. She had to realize this. How could she not? She was like Tucker's ultimate fantasy girl...just that she was actually real. Who would have guessed?

"So what about you?" Ran asked. "What makes you tick?"

My mouth spout out the first thing my mind thought. Before my brain could do damage control, I found myself answering, "I ghost hunt."

Ran looked deeply surprised but at the same time thrilled at this new discovery. "Really?" she said, eyebrows raised.

"It's just a hobby, really," I tried to blow it off before I said too much. "My friends and I just found ghosts interesting, so we, like, search for them and all. Nothing big. Just creepy and fun."

"Have you seen any?" she asked with interest.

I chuckled. I see one each time I stare into a mirror. "You'd be surprised how many there are when you actually go looking," I said with a grin. Time for new subject. Before she could ask a question, I shot off with, "What does you mom and dad do?"

"My mom left my dad and I when I was real young. I don't give a crap what she does for a living," Ran said without a care in the world. She then grinned as she said, "And my dad is a drug dealer."

"Seriously?" I asked, trying to sound skeptical. "What drugs does he deal?"

"What kind do you want?" Ran asked, the teasing grin never leaving her face. "You seem like a cocaine guy." I laughed out of nervous habit. I hoped she was joking. It seemed like she was when a moment later she asked, "What does your parents do?"

Oh crap! What should I say? I couldn't stall for time for a good lie, so I had to improvise. As smoothly as I could manage, I said, "My mom and dad are divorced. My mom is an inventor. She's awesome. Dad, on the other hand, is some rich business man. I don't care what he does." Ug. Hated calling Vlad my dad. And the hint at my mom made me miss her and my family even more.

"So you do have problems with old daddy dearest," Ran said smugly. "Made you lose the air hockey game."

"Fine," I admitted with a frown, "I think he's a jerk and a pathetic father figure. What about your dad? How's he?"

"He spoils me," Ran giggled devilishly. "I have that man wrapped around my finger. If I want a pony, he'd get me a fleet of them in an hour." Her face softened suddenly, and a warm smile came to her eyes. "But I love him," she said with tenderness. "He's hold up for so long after my mother left us. But he doesn't know how to raise a teenager at all. Poor old man."

"I bet he supplied the drugs for this party," I chuckled jokingly. But not really. I was prying at the dad subject. The more about him, the better.

"He would have, but he lost an important shipment a few weeks ago," Ran said seriously. "All I heard from it was my dad screaming at someone on the phone that night. Something about a spirit killing half the men my dad hired for taking care of the shipment. It was crazy!"

"Spirit? As in a ghost spirit?" I asked. Now things were getting interesting. This was exactly the information Vlad and Miss Tanaka wanted.

Ran gasped as an idea hit her. She stared right into my eyes as she said, "You should go hunt it! I'll go with you! This will be so much fun!" She clapped her hands in elation over this "brilliant" idea of hers.

"Don't get over excited," I said, frowning. "I'm not hunting that thing. You just said it killed half a crew of men." And I did _not_ want to see that thing again! Just the thought of it's haunting gaze sent shivers down my spine.

Ran didn't look worried about this deadly fact. No surprise. She waved the concept of danger away with her hand and said, "I think my dad was exaggerating. Even so, he would pay you for finding the thing and stopping it from ruining another one of his shipments."

Sorry. I was already taken by a bipolar Miss Tanaka. Too bad Vlad wasn't friends with Ran's father. I could be getting paid for this stupid job. Instead, I was jumping off of exploding ships and rescuing drunk hackers for free.

"I don't have the time," I told her. "And I'm not a professional." Yeah right. With Sam and Tucker by my side, I have to brag and say that we three might be the best ghost hunters in the universe. We've bagged a good number of ghosts in the past few years. Let's see the Guys In White do the same...or my parents.

Ran was going to argue with me and plead for me to come work for her dad, but thankfully someone came to the rescue. A loud call from above our heads captured our attention. We both looked up from the lifeboat to see the main group of friends I had met only a few hours before. They were all grinning down at us from the edge of the yacht in wonder and amusement.

"Hey, _hombre_, how did you get down there?" the party thrower yelled down at me.

"You mates fall off the yacht or something?" the Australian girl asked with a snort of amusement. The others laughed at this. Their laughter was a bit wild and uncontrolled from the over consumption of alcohol.

"Yes!" Ran called up, laughing with the others. "And then Danny jumped in to save me!"

"Oh, he's a keeper," the big guy hooted. More giggles and laughter.

"You two need help, or do you just like the privacy?" one of the Japanese girlfriends asked with a smirk. Ran giggled beside me. She was liking the attention as humiliating as it was.

"Yeah, we'd like some help up," I shouted at them. Ran sighed heavily beside me. I looked over to her and asked in confusion, "What?"

"You're going to leave now," she pouted. Yes, that was exactly what I was thinking of doing. I needed a break from the psycho chick. But the look on her face made me obligated to leave. She really did like me, didn't she? I couldn't just abandon her now. Pity date it was then.

"It's not like at the stroke of midnight I have to be back at my dad's hotel or some spell would be broken," I told her with a forced smile. Actually, something could get broken, and it was likely to be one of my bones. "Like he'd care anyways. I'm here for the whole night."

"Then let's dance!" Ran urged me with spontaneous delight. What had I gotten myself into?

The group on the yacht hoisted the lifeboat up to the main deck. The big guy was on one rope by himself. Three other guys were on another. The sight of the three struggling made me chuckle.

I helped Ran to her clumsy feet, and the rest of the group managed to get her on the deck without killing her. She was still a drunken mess on her feet, and they were pretty intoxicated as well. Not a good combination. With ease, I jumped over the side of the lifeboat and landed nicely on the deck beside Ran. Everyone marveled at my grace. Compared to them, I was a freaking ballerina.

The second I was beside her, Ran shouted for all to hear, "To the dance floor!" She was met with excited, erratic cheers from the group that right away headed for the stairs. The forced smile, or more like a grimace really, was stuck on my face as Ran latched onto my arm and kept me with her.

We all arrived at the dance floor a minute or two later. Somehow they had survived the stairs. It was a miracle. The dancing was raging on with as much intensity as before. The music was different but sounded exactly the same. The rest of the group quickly feel into the groove of the beat and danced around Ran and I who had found ourselves in the middle of a tangle of bodies.

"What's wrong?" Ran asked me. She had her arms raised above her head and was swaying smoothly to the upbeat music. She grinned slyly before asking, "Don't tell me you don't know how to dance. That would be so cliche."

An anxious laugh escaped me. In this sea of rhythmic bodies that flowed like water, I was a obstinate rock. "I don't normally do this," I shouted at her above the music. "And I'm going deaf."

"Loosen up," Ran told me, dancing behind me in time to the music. I turned my head to watch her. The way she moved her body was mesmerizing. "Close your eyes," she ordered. Sighing, I did as she said. "Just feel the music, Danny. Take your time. It will come."

"This is so cheesy," I laughed mockingly, eyes still closed. "I don't even want to dance. This is stupid."

"Then why are you doing it now?" Ran asked.

Without realizing it, I had been bobbing my head in sync with the music. My eyes flashed open. Ran's eyes were closed, and she was swaying up a storm. The girl was emotionless again as she ignored the world just this single moment. Everyone else in the room was doing the same. No one was watching me. In this crowd, I was alone.

And suddenly it didn't matter anymore. Everything didn't matter. My kidnap, this mess with Vlad, and the worries of the troubles waiting for me at home just wasn't so important now. In this one perfect moment, no one cared about me and I didn't care about them. No one was there to watch and criticize me. It was just me.

Closing my eyes again, I began to dance. It wasn't much. Honestly, I was just swaying my shoulders left and right and bobbing up and down to the music. I didn't even move my feet. But it was dancing nonetheless. The music overwhelmed me. It took my thoughts and scrambled them till nothing ran through my head at all. It was just the music. It was just me.

And for three selfish hours, nothing else mattered. Nothing but me and the music. I wasn't happy. I wasn't sad. I wasn't or was anything. It didn't feel good or bad. It was just what I needed, though. After days of emotions beating me from all sides, having none of them for just that bit of time was the greatest form of therapy I could have imagined.

Eventually, it ended. Slowly my eyes opened, and I smiled while stopping my dancing. The vacation was nice, but I couldn't live like that. Although now I knew why people liked doing this. It took the pain away. It also allowed no happiness. But with so many screwed up families and lives these days, sometimes the absence of pain is all they need and want. For the first time in my life, I somewhat understood the party crowd.

Someone latched onto my arm. I turned my head and saw Ran there. She grinned up at me. It was a normal grin, and it was beautiful. "You leaving, loser?" she asked. "This party doesn't end till five. We got two more hours."

"I gotta go," I told her. I really did. Vlad was going to have a fit if I didn't get back soon. Although I'd loved to make him wait and worry, my selfish time was over. I needed to get back to reality. The trip away was great, but home would always be waiting for me.

"Call me," Ran said. Her hand slipped into mine and intertwined with my fingers as she pulled me close to her. Her lips brushed against mine in a light kiss before she pulled away. My cheeks flushed red, and she giggled at my embarrassment. She then let me go and danced into the crowd. In my hand was a note with her phone number on it. Smiling dreamily, I shoved it into my damp back pocket.

As if drunk myself, I stumbled up the stairs to the main deck. The breezy, early morning air was sharp and cold. I was suddenly really tired. My sleep cycle had been screwed since the beginning of this ordeal. It was three in the morning now, and I wanted to pass out.

The yacht had docked while I'd been dancing. The bouncer was back. He nodded to me as I walked with heavy, lethargic steps down the planks of the bridge. I smiled back and gave a little wave goodbye. What a crummy job. It was three in the morning and he had to stand out there, making sure no little punks came on that were not allowed. Poor dude.

The limo was waiting for me at the end of the docks. To my relief, it was empty when I entered. It looked like Vlad and Miss Tanaka had more business or just liked their sleep. It didn't matter to me. I was just grateful to sit back and relax without Vlad there to bug me. The dark, warm cabin was soothing to my senses, and the flash of city lights through the windows was rhythmic and sleep inducing. My eyes closed and I began to nod off.

Suddenly a familiar chill came over me. My eyes flew open just as the blue mist escaped my lips and swirled into a vanishing point above my head. The ghost sat like a stone on the seat across from me. Its golden eyes bore into me with unfathomable wisdom.

It was a fox.

"What do you want?" I asked quietly. My body was rigged and tense now. If this ghost attacked, I had no way of protecting myself. I was powerless with Vlad's watch wound tightly around my wrist.

The fox studied me with its knowing eyes. It was mostly an auburn red color, with pure white fur puffed up on its chest and under the long snout. The only thing that moved was its furry red tail that swirled and danced without much reason. It was like the body part had a mind of its own.

"You are a very young hero," the fox said in a female voice, "But a hero nonetheless. And your heart is pure. In these hard times, this is rare."

"Why are you here?" I asked it wearily.

The fox smiled pleasantly. It was weird seeing an animal smile. "Am here to help you," she told me. "But I can only give it if you want me to."

A smile crossed my features at the sound of this. I could surely use some help. It was rare when a ghost did this, but I've seen it done plenty of times before. And this ghost seemed like she meant what she said. Another good way to tell that this ghost wasn't evil was the fact that it hadn't attacked me in the slightest bit.

"Of course I want your help!" I told the fox with excitement. By now I should have learned not to put so much hope in my voice. But all reason was pushed aside as I held up my hand with the watch on it and asked, "Could you get this thing off me first?"

"I do not understand," she said impassively. "How will that defeat the golem?"

"Golem?" I said, perplexed now. "I didn't say anything about a golem."

"But you saw the golem," the fox stated. "Somehow you survived. You are a very strong warrior to resist it. Usually a spirit dies with eye contact with a golem. That is why I've kept my distance."

"Oh, you mean that rock thing that attacked the ship last night!" I said with understanding now. "No wonder Vlad told me to change back into human form," I said in thought. I was right when I thought the fruit loop knew more than what he was letting on. Why was he keeping me in the dark like this?

"Yes, the golem is made out of the earth," the fox said with a nod. "That is why if must look like a rock in your eyes."

As the cabin of the limo plunged into darkness, she vanished. When the light returned when we passed a bright sign, she was sitting stoically beside me. I jumped in surprise, but quickly got over it as she said, "You must defeat the golem before it strikes again. Somehow you resisted it. You must do it again and take the paper out of its mouth to break the spell of its master."

"Okay, time out," I said, making a quick T with my hands. "One, I didn't _resist_ anything. I got pushed out of the way by the dude who kidnaped me. Two, I don't want to be here. You see, I was brought here by some raging lunatic called Vlad."

"Yes," the fox said with a sharp frown. "I know who Vlad Masters is. He looked like he would be able to help, but I do not trust his character. I will not help him. I will help you defeat the golem."

"You see, there is a problem with that," I said with a sheepish smile. I scratched the back of my neck as I said, "I'm not here to defeat the golem. The second I get a chance of escape, I'm going to take it. Hopefully that chance will be soon."

"You do not plan on destroying the golem?" the fox asked. A twinge of confusion was in her voice. She didn't understand my problem.

"The golem is just attacking drug dealers," I pointed out. "No big deal. And someone will take care of it eventually. I almost died yesterday because of that thing. I'm not going near it again. Sorry to disappoint."

"You are putting innocent lives on the line of danger, young hero," the fox told me seriously. Her tone was firm and almost threatening when she said, "The people in this city depend on you for their safety."

Frowning from my dislike of this information, I quickly shot back at the animal, "Well, they're depending on the wrong person. I never asked for this job."

"A true warrior never asks for a battle," the fox said as if it was profound or something.

"Yeah, and a true warrior isn't stupid too," I argued. "One more look of that golem thing, and I'm toast. Dead. Bye bye, ghost boy. Have a nice, permanent afterlife. All my stupid efforts would all be for nothing."

The fox paused, either for thought or effect. She didn't look very fazed by my hostile words toward her or angry attitude toward the whole situation. She was still stone-like and peaceful as ever from her spot beside me. I watched her stare out a window in silent contemplation.

"I understand," she said finally, voice a mystery of her true feelings.

"You do?" I asked, eyebrows raising in surprise. I didn't expect that answer. I thought there would be some more persuasion from the fox. If she was as smart as she presented herself, then shouldn't there be more? Maybe she didn't need me as much as she put on. That was cool with me. I didn't want anything attaching me to this golem thing. The second I had a chance to opt out, I was taking a one way flight back to Amity Park.

Unfortunately, my logic was wrong. A sly smile spread across her fox lips as she told me, "When you find the truth and need my help, I will be there for you, young hero."

Then she vanished.

"Wait!" I called after her fleeting form. "Come back!" My eyes scanned the dim interior of the limo's cabin, but I found her nowhere. "I don't want to do this!"

This wasn't what I wanted from the fox spirit at all, and it frustrated me. Feeling defeated and cornered, I sighed while leaning back in my seat. Why didn't I want to defeat this golem creature? I'd always envisioned myself as the hero. Why hadn't I jumped up to help the ghost in need just now? Was Vlad's evil nature rubbing off on me? The thought made me flinch.

"Ah! What is wrong with me?" I screamed at myself suddenly. I yanked at my hair in aggravation as I said, " This is so stupid! And why am I always so angry? I hate this!"

I struck out with a leg and kicked the seat across from me. I fell back into my seat, wincing back the pain in my leg. I'd hit the seat pretty hard, and my foot throbbed in agony now. The fresh, tangible feeling brought me back to my senses. Freaking out wasn't going to get me anywhere. A plan would.

So far I was failing in the planning and strategizing department. Usually I had my friends to help me with that. But I didn't have them now. I'd have to make do with myself for the time being. That wasn't a very comforting feeling because of my lack of confidence in my own gray matter. What was I going to do?

What did I _want_ to do? Did I want to get away from Vlad somehow and leave Tokyo behind, making it a bad memory in the stack of them filing up in my head? Or did I want to go after this golem thing despite my lack of passion of the drug trade and my hate for Vlad Masters? I was at a crossroads. I knew which one was easier. I knew which one was right. Jeez, Sam and Tucker would have already decided, but I was still lost.

The thought of my friends got my attention. What if I was somehow able to contact one of them? Vlad and I was going to Prague soon. All I knew was that it was located in Europe. Tucker was vacationing there. He still had a few days left in England. Maybe we could meet up!

My eyes lit up with hope with the foundations of this plan. It would take some time and careful planning. I'd have to find out Vlad and my flight schedule and work around the timings of landings and layovers. The whole thing was risky and devious, but I felt like I was drowning all by myself. My friends were my only lifeline.

The limo rolled into the big, circular driveway in front of Miss Tanaka's house. No one came around to open the door of the vehicle. I wasn't in the habit of letting servants wait on my hand in foot, so I got up to excuse myself from the car.

The sound of a deadbolt clicking into place sounded when I reached for the door handle. My hand hesitated, a suspicious frown taking over my features as my brain processed the sound. I didn't like this at all.

Hand suddenly grabbing the door handle, I knew before I'd even touch it what had happened. But my brain didn't want to believe it just yet. I yanked on the handle a few times before I could accept it. But why? Had I done something wrong? Was Vlad mad at me for something?

Why was I locked in?

A/N: For the one reader who said it was a golem, you were so right. If you don't know where the heck Prague is, Goggle it, guys. Learn something today. Or sit tight for a week, and I'll tell you in the next chapter. Sorry if I sound cranky. I haven't had a good night's sleep this whole week. Oh well. See you guys next weekend! Thanks for reading and reviewing!


	8. Chapter 8 Learning From the Master

A/N: Sorry, guys, for getting this out a week late...and for forgetting to answer reviews. I'm such a bad person! Anyways, writer's block is a horrible thing. Also, last weekend was hectic with ten people in my house at all times, that huge spider that attacked me, and my four hours of sleep each night. Let's just say I never had a dull moment...or a single minute to write. So this chapter ended up being a little short. Sorry 'bout that and the delay. Well, go ahead and read and enjoy. Thanks for sticking with me, guys. You guys are awesome.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Danny Phantom characters in this fic.

Chapter 8 Learning from the Master

Locked! I couldn't believe it!

"You got to be kidding me, Vlad," I hissed in aggravation under my breath, trying the door again. No servant came to help me with my door dilemma. In my frustration, I kicked the darn thing and had to hold back a yelp of pain. That had been stupid, but at least it confirmed something.

I wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

How long did Vlad want me to stay in the limo? The question raised my heart rate. I could feel myself slipping with my control. The thought of being stuck in a limo all night was not pleasing to me. But what was all this for? Vlad always had a reason behind something. I was failing to see the logic in this limo prison.

The front door of the mansion opened a moment later. In the bright lights hidden in the garden that seemed to surround and entangle Miss Tanaka's house, I saw Vlad briskly coming down the stairs with two duffle bags slung over his shoulders, a cell phone in one hand, and two plane tickets in the other. My lips tugged downward into a frown at his expression. He didn't look happy. That wasn't good.

The door I was standing by was unlocked with a sudden click. A servant came out to open the door for the approaching Vlad. I didn't want to be in the man's way when he got in, so I went and sat back down.

Vlad didn't break stride as he climbed into the vehicle. The door shut behind him just as he threw one of the duffle bags at me. It landed in my lap. As I examined the contents of shirts, pants, shoes, toothbrush, etc., Vlad sat down directly across from me. Finally it all clicked.

"We're going to Prague right now?" I asked Vlad in shock. He must have connections to get tickets that fast. I wondered how much he paid.

"Our plane for Beijing takes off at six," Vlad told me. "This wouldn't be a problem if you hadn't taken your time at that party."

"Don't you dare start complaining about me," I growled back at him. "Me being kidnaped and forced to spy on some drug dealer's daughter is not my fault."

"We don't have time to argue," Vlad said. The man was trying hard to keep the irritation out of his voice. He handed me the cellphone and ordered me, "Call your parents."

It took a moment for me to catch my breath after the surprise. "I'm going home?" I asked with unwanted hope filling my voice. My eyes pleaded with Vlad to say yes despite the fact I knew he'd never give me that answer. I was just being stupid.

"Heavens no, boy," Vlad said with the roll of his eyes. "I've rewired your home phone to send all calls to this cellphone. It has gone off a few times today. Your parents want to know how you are doing. Tell them that you've been busy and haven't caught their calls till just now."

"So I have to lie to them?" I asked, crestfallen.

"Do it, Daniel," Vlad barked the order at me.

"Okay, okay," I said with a sigh of defeat. I flipped the phone open, went to the recent calls box to find my parent's number. It was my mom's cellphone number. My finger hovered over the green button for only a second. A deep desire to hear my mom's voice again urged me to press it.

"Try not to talk to your sister," Vlad told me as I pressed the phone to my ear. My eyes avoided his narrowed ones as the device rung a few times. It was nerve racking to have Vlad watch me call my parents. One slip up and I knew I was would pay for the mistake.

"Danny!" My mom's voice joyfully sounded out of the phone so suddenly that it overwhelmed me. The stirring feeling formed a lump in my throat. I missed her and dad so much!

"Hey, mom," I said in a whisper because of the emotion. I cleared my throat and said normally, "What's up? You got to that college yet?"

"Sweetie, you okay?" mom asked me with concern. "You sound awful."

"I'm good," I lied quickly. "I just went to the movies and had only popcorn. The salt makes my mouth all dry. That's all."

"Okay," she said in that always delightful voice of hers. I could picture her smiling as she said, "I'm glad you're holding up without us. We made it to the college on time. We got lost a few times, but it all came together at the end. We're on our way to get ice cream with Jazz right now. Oh, wait, your father wants to talk to you."

I wanted to protest. One parent was enough emotional break down for the day. How was I to survive the onslaught of emotions with the voice of my dad? I would soon find out.

"Just for the record, Danny, I never got lost," my dad told me seriously. "Us Fentons never get lost!" Why did I miss this so much? Just the random and pointless stubbornness of my dad sent another pang of emotions my way. I had to take a deep breath before answering this time.

"I'm sure, dad," I said with a laugh. "You like the college?"

"Oh, Danny, you should have seen your sister when she got there," my dad said. "The girl is perfect for this place. And did you know this Yale University she wants to go to is supposed to be a really good college?"

"Well, it is Ivy League," I muttered. My teeth gritted together at the small smirk on Vlad's lips at my answer. He could faintly hear the person on the other end and was making fun of my dad. I wanted to punch him.

"What do you think you're doing, Danny?" Jazz's voice exploded into my ear. I winced at the loud sound as it pierced my ear. She must have wrestled the phone out of my dad's hands. This wasn't good. I'd been told not to talk to her.

"How's it going, Jazz?" I tried to ask casually. It didn't come out right and sounded totally fake. Didn't help when Vlad shot me a killer look of warning. I'd have to be very careful here.

"Don't give me that!" Jazz yelled at me. "Sam called yesterday and told me that you were kidnapped by Vlad and were going to Japan! What is going on, Danny? Tell me the truth. We're all worried out of our minds."

"Calm down, okay?" I grumbled in frustration. This was turning into a disaster. "I'm fine. Sam and I was just joking around. We wanted to scare you, get you back for sucking me into the thermos last week."

"He's there with you right now, isn't he?" Jazz asked in horror.

"I don't know who you're talking about," I chuckled nervously.

"Don't lie to me, Danny," Jazz demanded with her usual self righteous attitude. At any other time I'd be grateful to hear it, but at the moment she was screwing things up. I could see it in Vlad's steel gaze that had settled on me. He was furious.

"Don't do this, Jazz," I pleaded with her quietly. My soft tone cut her off in the middle of a rant. To get Vlad out of my sight, I closed my eyes. "Please. You don't know what's going on."

"Danny, are you okay?" she asked me, concern filling her voice now. The serious tone in her voice was a shocking reminder of how bad my situation was and how truly deep I was caught in Vlad's cruel grasp.

This time I couldn't lie. "No," I said, eyes still closed. "But I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. When you get home, I'll be there. I'm sorry, Jazz, for all this. I didn't mean for this to get so out of hand. Just look at your college and enjoy your vacation. Sam and Tuck should do the same. I'll see you guys in a few days."

There was long pause on the other end before Jazz said tearfully, "I don't know what to say, Danny. I want to help you. Just tell me what to do. You can trust me. Tell me what to do."

"Say goodbye, Jazz," I told her. She didn't obey. I sighed heavily before asking, "Can I talk to mom?" There was a shuffling as the phone was transfered to different hands. In the background I heard my dad asking about my sister crying. She was making up some lie for them. It pained me inside to hear it all. I had hurt her. I hated this.

"Danny, did you say something to Jazz?" mom asked accusingly. "And why did she go into the bathroom to talk to you?"

"Uh...she just wanted to tell me that she really liked the college, but she didn't think you guys had enough money for her to go there," I lied straight through my teeth. "It made her really upset. She thinks she is just wasting your time and money coming here. You know how sensitive she is about that."

What had I become? The lie had rolled off my tongue so smoothly, I almost believed it myself for a second. Usually it took everything in me to lie to my parents. Now it just came natural. I didn't like it.

"We'll have to talk to her about that," mom said quietly. "Don't worry about her, Danny. I think she'll be fine."

"I think so too," I said with a sigh. To avoid Vlad's stare, I leaned forward in my seat and stared at my shoes. My eyes widened in horror at the sight of my bare feet. I'd forgotten my shoes at the party!

"Danny, are you still there?" my mom asked when she didn't hear me say anything for a second. "Are you okay, honey?"

"I'm great!" I said with feint excitement. I hoped she didn't hear the faint hint of delirium in my voice. The panic from my shoeless feet had somehow sneaked into it. Oh gosh, had Vlad already noticed?

"Well, okay, sweetie," mom said hesitantly. I don't think she bought my lie all the way, but she knew there was nothing she could do to get it out of me. "We're going to talk to Jazz right now about the money issue. She looks so upset. We'll be home in a few days, alright?"

"That seems good," I said with a nod although she couldn't see me. Then before I could contain myself anymore, I blurted out eagerly, "I love you, mom."

She rarely got this from her teenagers, so she was overjoyed by my words. "Aw, Danny, you're so sweet," she said. "Of course I love you too. See you soon, honey. Bye!"

"Bye," I said, trying hard to rein in my emotion. I missed them so much, just their voices had stirred up everything in me. I didn't want to let them go so soon. Just a few more minutes. Instead, I was met with a click from the other end and me staring at the red button of termination. "Be safe," I whispered, ending the call.

"Well, wasn't that sweet," Vlad said with mockery in his voice. I glowered at him. The man was leaning back in his seat, a smug smile hinting at his features. "Their precious little boy lying so nicely," he said. "You must do that a lot to them, hiding your ghost powers from them and the like. You're more like me than you think, boy."

"Shut up, Vlad," I spat at him. My disgust for the man was easily heard in my voice. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, I'm sure," Vlad said, not convinced. "Now give me the cellphone back before you do something ridiculous with it." He stretched out his hand for me to drop the cellphone in. I had to get up from my seat to hand it to him.

Before I let the device go to drop into Vlad's grasp, his hand whipped up and grabbed my wrist in a vice grip. As he yanked me toward him, he stood up and changed into his ghost form. He moved out of my way as I fell onto his seat where he had just been. With one of my wrists still firmly in his hold, the man loomed over my stunned body.

"What are you doing?" I asked, scared and confused.

Vlad ignored my question by shoving his palm into my chest when I tired to get up. The force pinned my body against the seat and took the breath right out of me. It was a split second before Vlad used his electric powers to zap me that I saw how serious this was. This was the reason I had been locked in when I'd arrived.

The electric energy tore through my muscles, burning and crumbling them in a second or two of pure, raw agony. The cry of pain was caught in my throat as I rode out the experience with a wince. When it was done, I greedily gasped for air. My heart was fluttering with effort, and my limbs felt like noodles.

Instinctively, I lunged forward in an attempt to rip Vlad's head off. I don't like being tortured by my arch enemy for doing something I didn't know was wrong. Naturally, I reacted out of my anger.

"Remember your temper, boy," Vlad growled at me. His free hand pressed against my forehead, preventing me from getting up. As gentle as a chainsaw, he slammed my head back into the seat. Stars burst across my vision. For a moment I reeled from the sensation, but I was back soon enough.

When my senses returned, Vlad was slowly taking his hand away from my forehead. I already felt tired from pulling an all nighter and was wasted from Vlad's use of his electric powers. I did not need some head damage to go along with it. But I'd brought it upon myself. To prevent any other injury, I stared up into Vlad's narrowed red eyes and didn't move an inch.

"You're going to tell me what that ghostly presence was I detected from the pulse of your watch," Vlad told me as he took my chin in one of his hands. I clenched my teeth at his touch, but remained still. "Was it you?" he demanded with sudden intensity.

"No!" I retorted in irritation. Being treated like a punching bag for the lame excuse of a ghost disturbance didn't go over well with me.

"I'm checking your watch," Vlad said anyways. Of course he didn't believe me. He pulled on the arm he was already gripping and brought the device toward him. He paused while he was looking over it. His eyes roamed over my clothes in confusion. "You're wet...and shoeless," he stated. "Why?"

"Ran fell off the yacht," I explained in a rush. "I jumped in after her and saved her frown drowning. I accidentally left my shoes there." Vlad looked even more perplexed after this. I thought it was about Ran, so I said, "She was drunk and fooling around on the bow. She tripped and fell."

"Last night you practically froze to death," Vlad said. "I assumed it was your ice powers. They make you naturally colder than most humans. Why aren't you cold now?"

"I was cold, but it wasn't as bad as last night," I said. "I don't know why."

"Your watch will tell me," Vlad said, returning his gaze to the watch on my wrist he still held. He spun the combination, and before I could gather enough guts for a protest, he punched in the face watch. The extreme pins and needles sensation burst through my arm, making me grimace in pain.

"So this thing picks up ghost signatures or something?" I asked as the pain wore off. I pointed to the watch he was staring at with my free hand to indicate what I was talking about. Vlad didn't even look up at my movement. He was focused on something my watch was telling him.

"It wasn't you who set it off," Vlad said after he was done examining the watch, "Although your body did instinctively use your ghost sense, which you don't need ghost genes to do. But that didn't alert me. There was another ghost with you just a few minutes ago. On the limo ride to Miss Tanaka's house."

"Really?" I asked, trying to look surprised. The emotion came out as a sheepish smile instead of the innocent one I wanted to portray. Vlad would have seen through it anyways.

"Don't try to lie to me, Daniel," Vlad said in a dismissive tone. He glanced over my watch one last time before pressing the watch face in. He hadn't activated my ghost powers this time, so it wasn't so bad, but the pain was still intense as it crawled up my arm. I managed to get by with a small flinch.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I tried again, trying to sound convincing.

My act didn't go far. I was opening my mouth to add to my fabrication, when Vlad's palm slammed into my forehead once again. A grunt escaped me as the back of my head was roughly rammed into the seat and I had to close my eyes to keep my world from spinning. This wasn't going to be fun.

Vlad didn't give me time to recoup. Just as the groan of pain got out of me, he grabbed a fist full of my hair and yanked my head back. The sensitiveness of my hair didn't go unnoticed, and I couldn't keep the grimace off my face at the strong hold Vlad had on my hair.

"Who was here?" Vlad demanded.

What was the point of lying anymore if Vlad could just see through it all? With all my being I wanted to defy him, get beat up, then call it a day, but it wasn't like that anymore. The rules had changed. If I played stubborn, he'd threaten Sam and maybe even Tucker. There was no doubt in my mind that my first course of action would give me that result. Besides, after such a long day of jumping into bays and rescuing drunk crazy chicks, this was a very good time to call it a day.

"It was a fox ghost," I told him the truth with a scowl adorning my face. I didn't like giving up this information to such an evil man, but I didn't have the time or ability to focus on the formation of a better plan.

"Why was it here?" Vlad asked in the same commanding tone of voice.

I hesitated. Bad idea.

Vlad lashed out from my delay. It seemed like he ripped half my head of hair off as he yanked me forward by his grip there. I let out a small yelp at the pain and abruptness of the move as I crashed to the floor in a rather ungraceful matter. I landed roughly on my shoulder with a grimace.

The heel of Vlad's boot came down on my shoulder, making me roll onto my back. I shot my fearful and angry glare up at Vlad while trying to get back to my feet. I got about half way off the ground when Vlad raised his foot again, planted it on my rising chest, and forced me back down against the floor without any pity.

My head hit the red carpet first, sending me another wave of kaleidoscope colors across my vision and a throbbing pain at the back of head. I sucked in a breath, squeezing my eyes shut. My breath was let out through clenched teeth as I brought a hand up to rub the pain away.

Vlad's heel still dug into my chest as he kneeled and leaned down close to my face. My eyes flew open when I felt him close. My pain instantly flew to the back of my brain as I took in the quiet ferocity in Vlad's narrowed eyes. He wasn't going to take chances with me this time around. I was going to have to talk fast or pay for my delay.

Hand sparking with white, powerful electricity, Vlad brought his palm up and lowered it down so it hovered over my forehead. I tried to wiggle and squirm out from under the man, but Vlad held me firm.

"She was here to help me," I said in a rush of panicked words. "She told me that thing from the docks the other day was a golem and wanted me to destroy it with her help."

Vlad's face didn't react to this news. It was still dark and threatening as he took in my story with a small pause. My eyes returned back to the hand above my face still flowing and cracking with energy. I cringed away from it, waiting for Vlad to respond.

"What did you say to it?" Vlad asked finally.

"I...I told her I'd...um...try and destroy it," I said in a quiet, ashamed voice. Why was I lying again? The truth was that I'd been selfish and confused and totally blew the fox ghost off. Now I was telling Vlad the complete opposite of my feelings toward the subject. What was wrong with me?

But was it true? Were those my real feelings? Did I really want to kiss Japan goodbye and have nothing to do with the destruction of this golem? Part of me wanted to throw it all away and find myself a way to escape. On the other hand, I wanted to help. Something in me urged me to stick around, deal with Vlad, and be the superhero I claimed to be.

So when I told Vlad I wanted to destroy the golem, was that my subconscious speaking up or just the lying reflex Vlad had bestowed upon me?

It was a good question. One I couldn't answer for the life of me.

"You going to turn this thing into one of your heroic ghost superhero jobs, Daniel?" Vlad stated more than asked. He lowered his hand over my mouth, noticing my flinch before spitting out in disgust, "How childish. You know by now that this isn't one of your normal ghost hunting games in little old Amity Park. This is dangerous, boy. Get that into your head right this instant. And this isn't your mission. It is mine. You belong to me for this week, so we do this my way. Understand?"

Hesitating, I thought this over in growing excitement. Maybe with Vlad thinking I was on his side now, he'd drop his guard just a little. In the long run, this lie (or subconscious burp) was in my favor. With Vlad's trust, I could get information out of him and have more breathing room these next few days. An idea started right then and there.

I nodded in understanding.

Vlad didn't let me go right away. He studied my face for more answers, for some hint or clue. I stared back at him, keeping my narrowed eyes steady and unemotional. It didn't matter if he suspected a betrayal from me or not. I was going to give him nothing.

"If I find out that you're planning anything, small or large, I will not be forgiving, Daniel," the man threatened me harshly. I swallowed the dry lump in my throat. That didn't sound good, especially for what I had running through my head at the moment. Did he know that I had already began planning? I was not reassured by his next sentence.

Vlad broke out into small, devilish grin as he said, "So you better think a step ahead."

Crap.

-Hours Later-

"Thanks!" I whispered to the flight attendant who handed me the plastic cup full of Coke. I flashed the young woman a smile before returning to my work. The brown, bubbly liquid was exactly what I needed to get me through the next few hours. I was dead beat tired after all that had happened in the last 24 hours, but I'd sleep it all off soon enough.

The cool liquid was refreshing as I gulped it greedily down my dry throat. I glanced over at the sleeping form of Vlad beside me to make sure he was still asleep. He was usually a light sleeper, but I suspected that since he had to stay up to wait for me to get back from the party he was extra tired and wouldn't wake up any time soon.

Sipping absently at my Coke, I looked back down at the pieces of napkins I had placed all over the little table that came out of the back of the seat in front of me. Each had scribbles of my messy handwriting on them in splotchy blue ink and were organized in a certain order.

It was my plan.

I was going to screw it all and do this my way. My way was staying with Vlad and destroying the golem. But I wasn't going to be scared and threatened by the man anymore. To do that, I needed to contact my friends and Jazz. I needed to use my ghost powers when I wanted and needed them.

To do this right, I couldn't have Vlad dominating over my life the entire time. I was going to be driven insane if this kind of life kept going for the rest of the week. I was already feeling depressed and angry without any reason. I needed a safety net, something to give me even just a little glimpse of hope.

It was all easier said than done. That was why I had decided to plot against Vlad despite his threat. I knew I could pull what I wanted off, but I'd have to be extra careful with Vlad sniffing nosily around with everything I did.

It was in the middle of working on my plan on that plane ride that I realized something about Vlad Masters. He was teaching me something useful. I didn't know if he knew it or not or was intentionally putting me into this situation to produce this from me, but I was learning nonetheless.

Just a few days ago, I never would have guessed that I'd be plotting intricate schemes out on napkin paper in an airplane. Now I was taking Vlad's advice of thinking a step ahead and writing everything down from times and locations to possible reactions of people. The man was teaching me to think. And, surprisingly, I didn't mind being the pupil for once.

If life was a chess game like Vlad believed, I had better start learning the rules and begin to work at stretching my limits. If Vlad wanted a game, I was going to play it, but it was going to be played fast and hard on my part. I was pawn no more. This time I was a player.

And I didn't plan on loosing.

A/N: The next chapter will be up next weekend. Well, as long as I actually focus on my fics more than the DreamKeepers new forum website. The best comic in the world now has a website, so I'm soaking up the fun of the RP there. Gives me a challenge for my writing. And the guys there are awesome writers as well. If you don't know what DreamKeepers is, google it or David Lillie and eat up the awesomeness. See you guys next weekend!


	9. Chapter 9 Yellow Page Snatcher

A/N: Nothing to say, really. Just thanks for the reviews, I'm extremely sorry that I haven't been responding to any, and enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: Everything Danny Phantom doesn't belong to me.

Chapter 9 Yellow Page Snatcher

London, England's streets were dark and damp that early morning as Vlad and I rode silently in a warm taxi. I stared out the foggy window, watching the black buildings as they passed by a midnight blue sky. My face and actions were lethargic and emotionless, but my heart was pounding hard on the inside.

My plan was soon going to have to be put into action. After that, it was no turning back. The thought was terrifying.

"Our layover is ten hours," Vlad was explaining to me as I pretended to ignore him. "We are too tired to wait at the airport, so I got us a room at a hotel. We can sleep off a little of the jet lag and be ready to get to work once we land in Prague later today." He paused before asking in annoyance, "Are you even listening to me."

Sluggishly, I turned my head from the window to look at Vlad sitting beside me. Of course I'd listened to him. My sleepy act was merely pretend. My senses were sharp and focused despite the fact I looked like I was going to pass out.

"All I heard was sleep," I mumbled. With a finger, I poked my face and asked, "Have you ever been so tired that you can't feel your face? It is so weird." I grinned at the predictable reaction.

Vlad sighed, shaking his head at my words. "It's like I'm taking care of a kid," he said under his breath, but I heard him anyways.

A smile came to my lips as I told him, "I _am_ a kid."

Vlad came right back at me. He lowered his head so we were at eye level. A sly smirk came to his lips just before he said, "And you're _my_ kid for the week."

I frowned back at him, wanting to hit him but keeping the emotion at bay. "Can it, fruit loop," I growled at the man as I turned toward the window in a sulk.

"Is that how you should treat your substitute father, Daniel?" Vlad asked teasingly. Every muscle in my body seemed to stiffen when I felt his hand ruffle my hair.

"Hey, cut it out, Vlad," I hissed, raising a hand to whack Vlad's away from my hair. The man caught my wrist, pulled me closer to him, and slung an arm around my shoulders. I squirmed in his grip, refusing to look into his still smiling face.

"You do know that Miss Tanaka is suspicious about us being father and son," Vlad told me. "You should stop being so tense around me when we're around her."

"Maybe you should stop being so psychotic," I spat back. Vlad chuckled at my comment, not the least bit bothered by my hostility. With a long yawn, I stared tiredly out my window. The gloomy scene outside the taxi was more interesting than Vlad at the moment.

A minute or two later, we arrived at the modern little hotel. We had left the bags at the airport. It would have been too much work to check them out and then check them back in. So, empty handed and amazingly deadbeat, Vlad and I exited the damp yellow taxi, checked into the hotel, and took the elevator up to the third floor.

The room was like any other cheap hotel room. It had two separate twin beds covered with puke colored patterns on their scratchy comforter surfaces. The AC was working on maximum and practically vibrating the entire room with blasts of ice, cold air. The bathroom was closet sized, which I ignored by walking up to the edge of the first bed and collapsing onto it.

With a groan, I kicked off the sneakers I had found in my duffle bag before getting on the plane to Beijing. To make my sleepy act more plausible, I closed my eyes, being careful to keep my senses on high alert so I didn't actually fall asleep by mistake. That would ruin my entire plan.

The bed indented on my right as Vlad sat down beside my lying form. I didn't open my eyes, pretending I was too far into dreamland to notice the creep. It was hard to repress the urge to flinch when I felt him ruffle my hair before getting up, clicking off the bedside lamp, and going to bed himself.

I waited an hour. Eyes closed. Counting the seconds with each pounding heart beat.

My eyes opened at the top of the hour. The sun wouldn't come up for another 30 minutes. The room was still pitch black except for the neon digital clock's piercing green glare. Slowly, I observed Vlad's sleeping form. His breath was irregular, indicating REM sleep. I was good to go.

A long, nervous sigh flew out of my mouth before I carefully pushed my body up and off the bed as silently as I could. My eyes stayed on Vlad the entire time to make sure he wasn't waking up. My heart raced and pounded wildly in my ears, and my breaths became short and forced. Was I really prepared to go through with this plan? The consequences of being found out could be deadly.

Striking quickly, my hand shot out and grabbed the room's card key sitting on the bedside table. Before I could think better of it, I shoved the thing in my back pocket, picked up my shoes by their laces, and tip toed to the door. It opened nicely for me and closed with a quiet click.

Gasping for breath, I put my hands on the wall beside the door and let my head hang down. The dimly lit, softly carpeted hallway was dead silent except for my erratic gulps for oxygen. It was now or never, Danny. I could do this. The plan was so perfect. I just needed the nerve to move.

"Come on, come on," I hissed in a whisper to myself, squeezing my eyes shut in indecision. "Move!"

That did it. I pushed myself away from the wall and sprinted lightly down the hallway. In the slow elevator, I shoved on my shoes. The doors opened to the empty lobby area. The lone receptionist was too busy reading her magazine and smacking her gum to notice me run out the glass front doors and into the street.

It was a cool morning, and the sidewalk was streaked with slippery rain water from its most recent downpour. The brightening sky was filled with depressing gray clouds that dully rolled over the city. A few early risers like joggers and store owners were out preparing things for the morning rush that was soon going to hit the streets at full force.

My shoes pounded against the moist sidewalk as I sprinted down the street for the shiny, bright red pay phone booth. I skidded to a stop before slipping inside and shoving the door closed. My breath came out in white puff clouds in front of my face as I stood there to catch my breath. A second later, I dashed for the phone directory, thanking God something was finally in English and to my understanding.

On the plane I had racked my brain for the remembrance of Tucker's hotel where he was staying at in England with his family. It had come to me, thankfully, and now I was looking it up with a flurry of thin, yellow pages. Didn't take long for me to find it.

"So far, so good," I muttered with a grin. With the pen I'd gotten from the flight attendant on the flight to Beijing, I circled the address. Then after glancing around, I tore that page out of the directory and folded it before putting it into my back pocket along with my pen.

Finding the hotel was the hard part. I didn't know the London streets at all and kept getting lost. It was frustrating because it felt like I was wasting time, which I was. But I managed to get there by asking as many people as I could for directions to the address in my pocket. Many people pointed me the right way. Soon enough, I was there.

Glancing at my watch as I walked into the lobby, I saw that it was 6:34 in the morning. I sure hoped the Folly's weren't early risers and were already up to eat breakfast. But if I knew Tucker well enough, I knew he wouldn't get up to greet the day till noon when on vacation. His beauty sleep would be cut off early today, though.

The receptionist was kind as she told me which room Tucker was in. His parents had one room, and he had his own. That was good. I didn't want Tucker's parents there or to even know I was near their son.

His room was on the second floor. I took the elevator, feeling impatient as it crept slowly to my destination. But before I knew it, I was standing in front of Tucker's door. The heavy sigh I released was my last sign of doubt before I knocked loudly.

It took Tucker some time to get up and crack open the door. I waited with my hands in my pockets and trying not to look like I felt, which was freaked out and nervous beyond belief. The feelings all fell away when Tucker's head emerged from the crack and stared at me, confused and disbelieving.

"Danny?" he asked, his perplexity increasing.

I couldn't help myself. I rushed forward, throwing my arms around the boy's shoulders in a hug. The move took him totally off guard and sent both of us stumbling into his room. Tucker stood there, stunned, till finally hugging me tightly back and whispering, "I missed you too, man."

Smiling with sudden relief, I pulled away from my friend and told him, "I only have a few hours, Tuck. So get Sam on your computer quick."

"I'm confused," Tucker said, still dumfounded by my random showing up at his doorstep. "How did you get away from Vlad? Why are you in England? How did you find me?"

As he asked these reasonable questions, I quietly closed the door to the room and began turning on lights. His room was very similar to the one Vlad and I had at the moment, I noticed as I sat on the unused second twin bed and he sat across from me, eyes still wide.

"Just get Sam on the computer and I'll explain everything," I promised him with a weary grin.

Two hours later, I had lived up to the promise. I had moved to Tucker's bed to see Sam on the computer monitor. Tucker had gone down to the breakfast buffet to get food for us. As he wolfed down his sausages, eggs, and muffin, I ate dry cereal while sitting cross legged on the unmade bed. I was feeling more like myself every minute I was with my two best friends.

"So you snuck out of the hotel?" Sam was asking me in shock. "With Vlad right there next to you? Are you crazy, Danny?"

"Heh, maybe," I said with a shrug. "But maybe this fox ghost was telling the truth when she said Tokyo was in trouble with this golem running around. I've done a lot of crazy things lately, being a superhero and all. What's the difference of me risking my neck for others in a different country?"

"Nothing, dude, except for the fact that your dad's life is on the line here," Tucker pointed out, trying to be serious and realistic for me. But I had already gone through this problem in my head a million times now. I knew what I was doing. Why couldn't they see that?

"That's why you guys are going to call Jazz and tell her to get the watch away from him," I said. "It's part of my plan. She takes away the watch, Tucker figures out how to control this watch so I can use my ghost powers, and both of you look up these names for me." I held up a piece of napkin paper with names like Katsumi Tanaka, Ran Izumi, and their relatives which I'd put together on the plane.

Tucker took the paper out of my hand, looking it over with an interested expression on his face. "All these names are Japanese," he told me. "What do they have in common?"

"The Tokyo drug trade," I answered. "Get all the dirt and history on these guys. I want to know more than what Vlad knows about them."

"That won't be easy, dude," Tucker said, looking at the names intently. "Why'd you put that Tanaka lady's name on the list? I thought you said she was okay."

I chewed on my cereal and swallowed before answering, "Despite the fact that they're friends, Vlad doesn't trust her. I shouldn't either."

"Vlad doesn't trust anyone, Danny," Sam stated flatly. A second later I saw her give a sly smile before adding, "But I'm interested in this woman. I'm sure having female drug lords in Japan are rare. I wonder what her history is like."

"Yeah," Tucker piped up. "Ran should be easy for me to look up. If she is the hacker she says she is, then I can find her."

"Well, I'm glad you guys are excited," I muttered. "But we still have the problem of this watch cutting off my powers. I'm sick of feeling so dependent on Vlad to give me them. It would help me if I knew how to control the watch and turn it on and off when I wanted to. I don't feel safe at all doing this without control over my powers."

My confidence in my plan had wiped away all thoughts of doubt from my friends' minds it looked like. They were in this with me now. I knew I'd have plenty of their support if I came out with the attitude that I knew what I was doing.

"Let me see the watch," Tucker said. I gave him the arm with the watch attached to it, telling him how Vlad had opened it before. The techno geek nodded, fully understanding what I was just guessing at. He started twisting the surface, listening for the click of the combination. At some point it looked like he got it and smiled pridefully.

"So he pressed down on the watch face?" Tucker asked, simultaneously punching in the face without any hesitation. I let out a short, pained cry as the pins and needle sensation rushed unexpectedly down that arm. "Crap! Dude, you okay?" Tucker shouted at me in panic.

"What happened?" Sam asked, tone as worried as Tucker's.

"I'm fine," I reassured them with a inane grin. "That always happens when you do that. What was the combination you used, Tuck?"

"Are you sure, man?" he asked, taken aback by my pain.

"Yeah," I said with a vigorous nod. "I'm going crazy without my powers. No pain, go gain, right?"

"I personally love that expression, but in your case, Danny, I might want to rethink my opinion on it," Sam said. "You're hurting yourself this way."

I stared down at my hands in my lap, searching for the right words to express myself. This was hard, and I didn't expect my friends to blindly follow after my crazy plans and schemes, but it would only work with their help. I was powerless without them.

"You guys trust me, right?" I asked them without looking up to meet their eyes.

"Of course," Sam said in union with Tucker's, "Yeah".

"Then trust me now more than ever," I told them quietly. A pause followed as I waited for their response.

"We're with you, Danny," Sam told me with reassurance in her voice. I looked up to see them both smiling at me.

"Yeah, man, we're your friends," Tucker said. "What else would you expect from us?"

I grinned at them. "Thanks, guys," was all I could say.

-Few Hours Later-

Sitting down on the bed in the dimly lit hotel room, I felt like I'd actually accomplished something. It was a good feeling. It gave me hope that maybe this situation wasn't as disaster ridden as I had first made it out to be. Just the few hours I was able to talk to my friends and get everything off my shoulders was enough to make my spirits fly.

So while I fell back onto the bed and closed my eyes to try and get some well needed sleep, I was smiling. It had been a good day.

I was out the second my head hit the flat pillow. Although I had at least three hours of sleep, it felt like I'd only had five seconds when I found myself waking up by Vlad shaking my shoulder. Grumbling my complaints under my breath, I rolled away from him and tried going back asleep.

"Get up, Daniel," Vlad barked down at me. He sounded annoyed, but I really didn't care. Couldn't he give me at least a few more minutes? I got my answer a second later when he touched my temple with a finger and sent a short jolt of electricity through me.

"Ouch! Okay! I'm up!" I said with a wince. Feeling weak and achy from such drastic lack of sleep, I pushed my body up and out of bed. Vlad watched me lethargically put on my shoes, taking me in with complete silence. I ignored him, busying my mind with simple tasks like tying the laces.

"Where is the card key?" Vlad asked when I finally stood up, ready to leave. The horror froze on my face. "Where is the key?" His voice was razor sharp. He knew exactly where it was. There was no point denying I had it.

Without a word, I dug a hand into my back pocket and pulled it out. As I held it up for him to see it, my mind raced for an excuse. Anything! I couldn't let my plan get thrown all out the window from such a stupid mistake. There had to be something I could say that would be believable.

Vlad crossed the empty space between us in two long strides. Trying to breathe, I stared at the floor, mind still searching frantically for something. Just as Vlad grabbed my wrist in a firm, painful grip and pulled the card out of my hand, I had a spark of inspiration.

"I was hungry this morning," I told him quickly. My eyes darted from their spot on the carpet up to Vlad's narrowed ones. Quickly, my confidence came back. "I didn't want to wake you, so I took the card and got breakfast myself. I forgot to put it back. Sorry."

"We'll see," Vlad spat down at me, voice like acid. My face formed into a grimace at the steel tone. I didn't want to know what he meant by that, but I had a feeling I would soon find out as he marched out the room, dragging me unwillingly along.

My heart slammed hard inside my chest as if it was a drum pretending to be part of a rock band. Vlad's grip on my wrist only tightened as he pulled me into the elevator. We waited in tense silence as it traveled down to the lobby. Panic rose in my throat, dying to pry itself out. My lie was just about to be proven false. I needed a new plan.

The doors opened a second later and Vlad yanked me behind him, heading for the reception desk. The lady from that morning was stationed there again, smacking her pink bubblegum as if she was a cow. She had long brown hair and a pretty, slim face. She wasn't reading her magazine anymore, but she still looked as bored as ever as she typed things into the computer there.

"Did you see this boy come down here this morning to eat breakfast?" Vlad asked the lady, pulling me to his side and into full view. He pointed to me with his free hand as if to make it very clear who he was asking about. Eyes wide in fear, I looked over to the lady.

"Yeah," the lady answered without looking away from her computer monitor. She blew a large bubble with her gum, deftly sucking it back into her mouth before it popped and got all over her face.

"You didn't even look at him," Vlad said, annoyed. "Look at him closely and tell me if you saw him at the breakfast buffet this morning."

Sighing heavily at the effort, the lady took her dull blue eyes off the screen to look at me. She summed me up, never indicating with an expression if she noticed the horror in my eyes or the panic in my shallow breaths. Her eyes seemed to slowly travel over me, finally coming into contact with my own eyes. And with them, I pleaded.

"I would never forget dreamy blue eyes like those," she said, monotone. She was deadpan as she continued. "Yeah, I saw him this morning. Now either check out or let me do my work, sir."

Vlad stood there dumbfounded for a moment before looking down at me in suspicion. I was as stunned as he was. This lady, who really couldn't care less, had just saved my life. The delighted grin on my face couldn't be wiped away. I wanted to hug the woman and tell her I loved her, but that would have been too obvious in front of Vlad. So instead I just gave him a smirk.

My reward was a sharp yank of my wrist as Vlad checked out and stormed out the hotel in a huff. It felt like my arm was going to be pulled out of my socket the way Vlad was throwing me around, but inwardly I was beaming. The plan had gone off...with a hitch, but at least I had come out victorious this round.

The hard work I'd put into this was paying off for once. Now all I had to do was deal with Vlad while researching this golem in Prague these next few days. My plan wouldn't come back into play until I needed to contact Sam and Tucker when I got back to Tokyo. They would give me the background information I needed on the drug lords of the city.

I couldn't wait to hear their voices again.

-Hours Later-

Looking up at the high, brightly lit domed ceiling, I let out an impressed whistle. I'd only landed in Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic, a few hours before. Already I was taking in the sights like a true tourist. We even had a tour guide to this Old New Synagogue.

"Having fun?" Vlad asked me from where he stood by my side. "Admit it, Daniel, you're enjoying this." Although I wasn't looking at him, I knew he was smiling smugly at me. I sighed, hating having the reminder of Vlad constantly buzzing in my ear. Didn't he have better things to do other than bugging the crap out of me?

"Oh, of course I'm having a blast," I shot up at the man, putting on my own annoying smirk. "Who doesn't like being kidnapped and getting dragged around the world by their arch enemy who still hits on your happily married mom?"

Vlad watched me walk away from him once again, frowning as his only response. I thew him a quick, wicked grin over my shoulder as I put my hands in my pockets. I would never tell him the real reason for my high spirits. Although, the sight before me was highly contributing to it.

The thought of the man vanished as I took in the Synagogue. Large, intricate brick pillars held up a domed ceiling. A massive flag with the Star of David symbol on it hung from one of them. Many stain glass windows covered the walls. The entire place had a kind of archaic religious feel to it. It was different but cool at the same time.

As the tour guide told the group why the place was called the Old New Synagogue, Vlad left the throng of camera happy people to join me off to the side. I let him stand there because he was quiet now. As long as he kept his smart little comments to himself, I was fine with him.

"This tour guide is a complete dolt," he sighed, glaring at the man who had the full attention of his group.

The guy was maybe Vlad's age with a head that was going bald. It was in the in-between stage: short curly red hair encircling a cue ball shiny center. He had a cheesy, false smile always stuck to his face as if he was trying to exude happiness. And he nodded after every sentence. It was almost too ridiculous.

Grinning, I said, "He probably couldn't get a job at Burger King." Vlad looked down at me, a bit taken aback by my chuckle before I added, "Poor dude."

"At least at a fast food place he wouldn't have that creepy smile," the man muttered. I couldn't keep in my burst of laughter. Vlad chuckled as he continued. "You never see someone smile in those places. Not with their pathetic salaries of minimum wage."

"You ever seen those little bobble-head toys?" I asked. It took only two seconds for Vlad to get it and grin, nodding his head in agreement.

"That one wasn't half bad," he said. He lowered his head down to say into my ear, "Now watch this closely. You see those asian tourists?" I nodded. "Notice how they keep trying to ask him questions in Japanese. He clearly doesn't know the language. Obviously everyone else doesn't either, but they are being polite and letting them ask."

"Oh, total shut down," I said with wince. The tour guide had just completely ignored the group of flustered and question ridden Japanese tourists when one had asked something in broken English. It was painful but also amusing to watch. Didn't this guy know how stupid and rude he looked?

"The man is a complete control freak," Vlad told me, mouth still by my ear. "He ignores them not to be rude, but because questions mess up his little spiel. If he stopped in the middle of his speech, that means he's letting the people control the tour. And he can't have that."

I gave a laugh, nodding in agreement. What can I say? It was funny and true.

"You can see it, right?" Vlad said. "The way his smile fades just a twinge when someone asks a question. How he glances at us every so often to check up on us. Sometimes he even mentally counts the crowd to make sure everyone is here and listening to him. You can tell when his eyes scan over the heads. His lips move as he counts."

I was mesmerized by this. By only watching closely to his movements, facial expressions, and eyes, I saw everything Vlad had just pointed out. It was amazing what a simple observation can do. A grin crossed my face. "He does count the crowd," I said, nodding.

"Now let's break him," Vlad said with a devilish smile. "Watch and learn."

The grin on my face turned into a frown in that exact instant. Eyes wide in sudden shock, I watched Vlad leave me and walk toward the group with mission in mind. Watch and learn? Was that why I was here? To be Vlad's little apprentice? My stomach twisted in apprehension of this dreaded thought.

The scene that unfolded in front of me turned into something like a car wreck. It was so awful, but you couldn't look away. Vlad was his usual nonchalant self as he strolled into the crowd with his hands loosely stuffed into his pockets. He waited till the tour guide was in the middle of his sentence, in his element of control. The poor man's bubble was about to be seriously popped and he didn't even know it.

"Excuse me!" Vlad shouted above the vibrant and lively voice of the guide. Everyone's attention on the man went from full to empty as all heads swerved to settle on Vlad.

"Please, sir," the guide said with his creepy smile waning a little, "save all questions for the end of the tour."

Masters was relentless. He disregarded the statement and asked loudly for all to hear, "Will we get to see the attic with the golem on this tour?"

"Please save the questions for the end of the tour," the guide tried again. His smile had vanished. I could see his resolve leaving him. The cracks were beginning. Vlad didn't stop there.

"I'm just speaking up for the interest of the people on this tour," Vlad pushed. Even from my spot in the back, I could see the sweat dripping down the guide's face. "Maybe we should get a vote. Who wants to see the golem sight in the attic? Raise your hands." A few people began raising their hands, loving this odd idea of a democratic tour.

"No!" the tour guide screamed suddenly. I flinched, not able to watch anymore as I reverted my eyes to the floor. He had snapped thanks to Vlad's prodding. "This tour does not having voting! And it will NOT see the attic! No tour lets the public see the golem. Okay?"

The group experienced an awkward silence after this till the guide got control over himself a minute later and began to speak again. But the damage had been done. The crowd wasn't interested anymore. Who wanted to pay attention to a lunatic? The guide saw the disinterest and was crestfallen. The usual calm in his voice was gone as he stumbled through his speech, dispassionate and ultimately defeated.

Smug and triumphant smile adorning his lips, Vlad walked back to where I was standing. He saw the unfavorable emotion on my face, and his smile turned into his one of all knowing. He stood behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders while bending down so his mouth was by my ear again.

"Do remember that just a minute ago you were making fun of him with me," he said with a slightly amused voice. I clenched my jaw, refusing to respond. He wouldn't break me like he'd just done to the tour guide. "I know you liked being able to see the flaws and weaknesses of people with just the simple observation," Vlad continued. "What's the difference between making fun of someone and taking it up a notch? Face it. You're just like me, Danny."

I tried to move away, anything to get the voice of Vlad out of my ear. His hands dug into my shoulders. His strong grip forced me to stay there. After a small struggle, I gave up with a furious sigh.

"What's the matter, Daniel?" Vlad asked me. "Cat got your ton--OUCH!"

With my heel, I pitilessly ground into Vlad's toes. The usual pleasure I got out of Vlad's pain didn't put the smile on my face this time. I was too angry.

I looked right into Vlad's eyes and told him in an vehement whisper, "I'm _nothing_ like you."

"Whatever lets you sleep at night," Vlad said lightly. His gloating smirk made me curl my hands into tight fists in sudden rage. "Remember your temper, boy. We're in public," Vlad told me as he stood up straight, hands calmly placed behind his back. The pain in his foot from a second ago had not phased him at all. This was frustrating.

"You know what, Vlad?" I spat at him. My blue eyes were narrowed furiously. "I'm not here to be your stupid little student." As I told him this, I clawed at the watch around my wrist. "If that's what you have in mind, I'm opting out."

The man watched me vigorously pull at the watch without much interest on his face. Actually, he looked almost bored at the sight of me hissing in pain each time the watch sent me little jabs of pain. He waited for me to stop with his hands crossed in front of his chest. After a minute of unproductiveness, I heaved a sigh and glanced up at Vlad.

"You finished?" Vlad asked me, impatience in his voice.

I looked back down at the watch, wondering exactly how I was going to get the thing off me when this was all over. Maybe Tucker could figure that out. But for now, it was going to stay there. At least I knew how to give myself ghost powers. The secret thought calmed be down.

"Yeah," I said with a nod. "I'm good."

Vlad rolled his eyes before grabbing me by the arm. "I'm glad you got that out of your system," he muttered, dragging me callously along behind him. "Now come on. We're not going to find anything new here unless we actually managed to get into the attic with the golem casket."

"Why don't we go up there ourselves?" I asked. My pace had to be quick so I could walk beside the man. It was either book it or be dragged. To preserve my last ounce of pride, I kept my pace brisk as I asked him, "Isn't the point of coming here in the first place was to confirm if that thing that attacked us was a golem or not?"

"Correct," Vlad answered, nodding absently. We exited the Synagogue and traveled out into the darkened night. The old street glowed warmly with a few sparse antique lamp posts. Vlad pushed me one way, finally letting me go as he said, "But we can't get into that attic by ourselves. Ghost shields have been set up, preventing even half ghosts like us to get in."

"Why would a golem need protection from ghosts?" I asked, confused.

"Oh, dear boy, you've got it all wrong," Vlad chuckled at my ignorance. He ruffled my hair as he told me, "They weren't put up for the golem's protection. They're there for the ghosts'."

That didn't sound good.

A/N: Whew! I got a lot done in this chapter, didn't I? Although now I want a fight scene to come soon. This fic is surprisingly lacking my sense of action. I mean, I got plenty of poor Danny getting beat up, but I'm itching for a fight scene. Hm. Soon. But down to business. I'm going away from Lima for a week on a kinda vacation. I'll have my laptop, but I might be too busy to write. Heck, who am I kidding? I'm addicted to writing. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up by next weekend. If you don't see anything, at least I have an excuse. So plan on next weekend like usual. See you guys then!


	10. Chapter 10 Jackie Chan Ruins Lunch

A/N: Sorry for the delay. My road trip turned out to be awesome, but it gave me no time to write. That is why this is so late. I did have some trouble with this chapter. For some reason the beginning didn't come out as clear as I wanted it to at first. Oh well. In the end it came together. Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: All Danny Phantom characters in this fic do not belong to me.

Chapter 10 Jackie Chan Ruins Lunch

_KABOOM!_

A heat wave slammed into me. Cowering from the strong blast of blazing hot wind, I put up my arms over my face to protect myself as it pushed me back a few feet. Following the heat was a swarm of gray, billowing smoke that filled and stung my lungs. I coughed on the stuff as if I was hacking up a lung.

As the smoke began to clear, I could make out the fire from the massive explosion raging against the black sky. The red and orange flames licked the air as if tasting the cool winds. From my position of a few shipping containers away, I stared at the disaster with teary eyes from the smoke.

What was going on?

Shoes pounding against pavement sounded behind me. Confused and a bit scared, I looked over my shoulder and saw a group of men racing around the corner of more containers. They all rushed past me as if I wasn't there, heading for the fire. The fact that they were all carrying guns didn't go unnoticed. I watched them disappear behind the containers that blocked the main blaze of the fire from view.

A moment later, the sound of gunfire exploded from where the fire was. Then a shrill, terrified scream pierced through the night air. I gasped from the sound and stood in shock as it was abruptly cut off with a splash of liquid or some sort. More screams were heard above the gunfire. All of them were strictly stopped with the same killing splash. It was weird and highly foreboding.

In all of the matter of seconds, the gunfire ceased with one last spray of liquid. With a gasp, I realized I had been holding my breath the entire time and now desperately sucked in air into my lungs. It felt like my sneakers had been melted into the pavement beneath my feet. I couldn't move as the sickening realization of what had just happened behind those containers dawned on me. They had all just died!

Slowly, each step forced and thought provoked, I backed away from the fire still battling against the cool night air. Police sirens could be heard in the distance, but my ears did not register the noise. My entire focus was on the containers in front of me.

A shadow emerged from the flames, big, bulky, and menacing. It seemed like my heart had been jammed into my throat at the sight of the hulking form that kept walking straight toward me.

It was the golem.

"Hurry, hero," a voice said from my side suddenly. Screaming in surprise and alarm, I jumped away from the fox spirit. I gasped for breath as the scarlet furred animal told me gravely, "Come back soon, young warrior. Japan needs you."

I looked up just as the golem gave a loud, ear shattering bellow. I put my hands over my ears with a wince at the blood curdling sound. Its cold eyes had settled on me, and it quickened its pace. The only mission on its mind was the destruction of me. Or so I thought.

Out of the blue, bullets were fired from behind me. I was too scared to react properly. All I did was stand there, frozen, as brave Japanese police officers ran at the golem with firearms all ablaze and working at full speed. With wide eyes, I saw every, single bullet get absorbed by the golem. Nothing could hurt this thing!

The police figured this out too late. The golem turned its brisk walk into a barreling run. It plowed into the first set of police men who had moved in front of me like they were lifeless little dolls. With a fist the size of a couch, the golem snatched the first man in its iron grip and literally squeezed the very life out of him.

The man died with a strangled cry that chilled me to the bone. The golem kept tightening his grip until the man's body was crushed and the blood in his dead veins exploded out of ruptured skin. The fresh blood rained down on the pavement with a splash. It all happened in a few seconds, and then the golem moved quickly onto his next hapless victim.

All around me there were shouts of fear and commands, the loud explosion of constant rattling gunfire, and the screams of pain cut off by definitive crunching of bodies. I could do nothing to stop what was going on. The only thing I could do was stand there and watch in horror as blood poured from dead bodies and sprinkled across the blacktop.

In the matter of seconds, just like the gunmen from before, everyone was gone except for lifeless, unrecognizable bodies and giant pools of hot, thick blood. It was like a horror movie had just played its tape right in front of my eyes. I couldn't move. I couldn't breath.

A dozen of police men had just died! I watched it all! Why hadn't I moved? Why hadn't I done _something_? What was wrong with me? Tears sprung to my eyes. Why?

That golem was a killing machine! And I had to defeat it? The thought sent a stab of pain through my already twisted stomach. I wanted to throw up.

"You could do nothing this time," the fox said. I glanced down at her sitting stoically beside my leg. She saw the clear confusion on my face and bore her golden and wise eyes into mine and explained. "This was only a small taste of what the golem is doing," she said sternly. "I gave you this vision to show you the severity of the situation."

"Vision?" I asked her. My mouth felt dry and my tongue was a useless lump of cotton in my mouth. Everything felt numb to me after the sight I had just witnessed. "What do you mean?"

"Phantom," she told me, "This is merely a dream."

I woke up with a deep gasp, flashing my eyes open as my heart slammed hard against my chest. Sweat soaked my body and the sheets of the bed I was in. The hotel room was a black void. The darkness did not comfort me. Instead of it calming me down, I felt like it was enveloping me like a thick, confining blanket. Swallowing me up in its ominous jaws.

It made me panic. I wanted out. I wanted light. I needed the light. My stomach twisted painfully one last time.

Desperately, I flung myself out of bed. My bare feet slapped against the wooden floor of the old and ancient hotel room. The wood was cold to the touch as I rushed across its hard surface. I threw myself into the bathroom, not caring to close the door behind me as I slammed down on the light switch with the palm of my hand.

Light burned my eyes, but I made it to the toilet in time. My stomach heaved once before I puked into the chilling porcelain bowl. As I vomited, I wondered how I went so long without puking my guts out. It wasn't like I was enjoying the acid burn in my throat. It was just weird that it took a nightmare of seeing men dying all around me to finally throw up like a normal person.

"What on earth are you _doing_?" Vlad asked me from the brightly lit doorway.

I flushed the putrid smelling vomit down the can before sitting on the floor beside the thing with a weary sigh. Prague weather was cool that night. I found myself shivering from the sweat that stuck to my skin like a wet layer of the gritty and salt smelling liquid.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" I asked Vlad. My voice didn't come off as spiteful as I wanted it to. Instead, it sounded frustrated and defeated.

Vlad entered the bathroom with a disgusted look on his face. He valiantly sniffed the air. His nose scrunched up as he asked in distaste, "Did you just vomit? It smells awful!" He looked down at me when he said this, a bit surprised but still expecting a good response.

Instead of an answer, I ran a hand through my sweat laden hair and leaned my back against the cabinet. My eyes traveled upward to look into Vlad's suspicious, narrowed ones. A frown twitched on the corners of my lips. Why did he have to be so damn adamant about subjects like this? All I did was puke. He was blowing it way out of proportion.

"Yeah, I threw up," I said with a half hearted shrug, "So what?" With the question, I pinned the man a hard stare that demanded an answer.

"Why?" he asked. My frown deepened at the total disregard of my stare. Vlad mirrored my scowl by crossing his arms across his chest and saying, "Don't be stubborn, boy. Why did you throw up?"

"Food poisoning," I lied with a flabbergasted sigh. "How the hell should I know?"

"So you woke up at four in the morning to throw up?" Vlad asked, not convinced. "Honestly, Daniel, you haven't eaten in hours, and even that had to be airline food which is rarely food poisoned. If you want to lie to me at least make it a little convincing."

"I had a nightmare, okay?" I shouted up at him. Vlad didn't react as I glared at the floor and said, "It was of the golem. It killed all these police guys. I could do nothing to help them. It was..." I faded off. The gruesome event was too much for me to try and describe. Honestly, I was trying with all my might to block the visions of their deaths out of my head to keep myself from puking again.

"A nightmare?" Vlad asked with the raise of his eyebrow. "Is that it?" I shot him a glare. It was one of more nasty ones. Thankfully, he got the hint and decided to give me some peace. With a sigh, he sat down on the bathtub's small edge and stared at me thoughtfully.

"What?" I asked, agitated by this stare. It was his guinea pig stare. The one that sums me up as some experiment to him, some object to test out and play with. It always gave me the creeps.

"Do you always wake up in the middle of night?" Vlad asked me, again avoiding the answer to my question. I was beginning to think that he never listened to questions. That would make sense.

As an answer, I glanced down to the hard wood floor that chilled my bare feet that touched its flat surface. Where was he getting at with this question? Finally, I said, "Sometimes to go the bathroom."

"You sure?" Vlad asked coyly.

My eyes shot up to meet his. I put a perplexed expression on my face before saying slowly, "Yeah." Oh no. He had that smirk on his lips again. Something evil was being plotted in that head of his. I wished I could just turn invisible to evade that stare.

"Good," Vlad said, standing, "Because you can always hold that in."

Huh? This time my look of bafflement wasn't forced. My heels dug into the floor as I pushed myself against the cabinet when Vlad closed the gap between us with one step. With the sticky sweet smile still on his features, he leaned down so our races were inches apart. His hand shot out and grabbed my wrist after my face twisted into a small, fearful frown.

In one swift motion, Vlad had yanked me to my feet. He dragged me out of the bathroom and into the dark hotel room, turned on the lights by the door, and then pulled me over to his suitcase. As he rummaged through his things, I twisted and wiggled in his vice grip around my wrist.

"I'm amazed how I didn't think of this before," Vlad mused, suddenly tightening his hold on me and pulling me close. There was a click of metal as something cold and metallic pressed against the wrist he held. I shot my panicked gaze up to Vlad's smiling face just as he told me, "Just a precaution."

"Yeah, right!" I spat back, horrified. "Vlad, this is just being plain paranoid."

"One day, Daniel, you'll understand that a little paranoia is a good thing," Vlad said, dragging me by the other end of the handcuff toward my bed. The headboard was made of metal bars. With a definitive motion, Vlad slapped the other end of the cuff onto one of the bars and cinched it tightly into place.

"How am going to sleep this way?" I asked in a explosive matter.

Vlad sat smugly on his bed next to mine, watching me struggle in the cuffs with no progress. "You'll find a way somehow," he said, grinning in amusement.

"You can't do this to me!" I snapped at him over my shoulder. Grunting, I pulled and twisted my hand in the one cuff to see if I could somehow get out of it. But it was a lost cause. I'd have to turn anorexic if I wanted to get free that way.

"Why do you care so much?" Vlad asked slyly. My back was facing the man, so he didn't catch my brief look of terror. My suspicions heightened when he asked, "Do you have somewhere to go to?"

Did Vlad know about me sneaking out? Or was he just suspicious and testing me? The best thing to do in the situation was to bluff my way through until I could deny no more. It was basic logic of a five year old that has stolen cookies. You never tell mom you ate them until there are no other possible excuses to use...then you beg for forgiveness and hope for a less painful punishment. This was like Vlad's and mine relationship at the moment. I didn't enjoy retrogressing to a child's mind set.

"What are you _talking_ about?" I asked Vlad, making my voice sound completely lost and confused. I turned my head around to look the man in the eyes. My face matched my tone of voice, a mask to my true feelings of rising fear.

Vlad observed me silently, his chin resting in a hand. His face had that calculating look to it, a look I had learned to despise. It meant he was plotting something. And I was never a fan of those plots of his. They usually ended with me getting hurt.

"I'll get you back for this," I told him, the anger rushing back to me.

"Go ahead and try," Vlad said with a chuckle. "I've always enjoyed seeing you struggle uselessly." He thought this was cute. I'd show him cute.

Vlad turned off the lights a second later. The room plunged back into darkness. I waited till I heard Vlad go back to bed before stretching my free arm out and over to the bedside table. The neon glow of the digital alarm clock let me faintly see its few buttons. Grinning, I pressed down on one of them, turning the alarm off.

We were going to sleep in that morning.

-Next Day-

At the top of the hour, we left the quaint little hotel. Just like all the other buildings and the city it inhabited, the place was old and archaic. Prague itself had an ancient feel to it. Everything was old fashioned, as if nothing had been updated since it had been in the peak of its power, which was centuries in the past. It was stuck in a time long ago. It was as if someone had stopped time there. It was weird.

Also, there was a mystical vibe going on. Some of it was ghostly. Some of it was something else. A lot of it reminded me of Amity Park. There was just something in the air that felt like home. Oddly enough, I liked Prague.

Vlad found a little restaurant a block away from the hotel. It was one of those long, flat buildings that serves great coffee and pastries, but anything else on the menu tastes bland. We picked a booth in the back and sat opposite of each other.

"What do you want to eat for...lunch?" Vlad asked me. His eyes traveled over the top of his menu when he paused for the word lunch. The eyes bore harshly into me as if trying to punish me again for my little trick that made us sleep in till eleven in the morning. He was pretty upset when he found out just an hour ago that we had no more time for breakfast.

A smile itched at the corners of my lips, but I managed to repress the urge by settling with a small frown. "I'm not hungry," I said. The memory of that nightmare was still fresh in my mind. If I ate now, I'd probably throw up again.

"You have to eat something, Danny," Vlad argued with me. "You're starving yourself this way."

"Maybe I like starving myself," I shot back tersely.

"Don't be difficult," Vlad said. He was clearly frustrated with my attitude and my little trick with the alarm clock that morning. I wasn't happy either to play the role of punching bag as my punishment. The melon sized, swirling purple bruise on my shoulder wasn't going to improve my day too.

"I'm not being difficult. I'm just saving my stomach the trip to the bathroom," I grumbled. Avoiding his hard gaze, I busied my time with fidgeting with the sugar packages in their little ceramic holder on the table that separated us in the booth. Really, it was the only thing keeping each other from strangling the other.

"It was just a dream," Vlad said with a sigh.

"It was more than that," I said under my breath. I don't know why I felt that way. The vision the fox spirit gave me had to be more than just a little warning dream for me to come back soon. But Vlad would never understand that.

"I'm going to order you a sandwich," Vlad said with finality. I glanced up at him from my sugar packet tower with a dull glare. He ignored it, saying, "And you're going to eat it."

"What am I? Five?" I muttered, scowling as the tower crumbled into ruins.

"Ah! Vlad! There you are!"

The loud voice had sounded from right next to us. Alarmed at the suddenness of this person, I looked up and over to the guy that stood at the opening of our booth. Vlad did the same, giving the man a small smile while returning a little greeting as if they were long lost friends. Great. More friends. I hoped this one didn't turn to be psychotic like Katsumi Tanaka.

The new friend was a big Jewish dude. He had the stereotypical mass of brown curls on his head and dark colored eyes. The two orbs took my presence in with delight like the beady eyes of a pig taking in the sight of its supper. I didn't trust the grin that made his chubby red cheeks widen. He seemed to bounce like a giddy little fat kid at the sight of me. It was like I was candy in his eyes. It made me tense up and scoot further back into my booth seat.

"Is this the other half ghost you told me about?" the friend asked Vlad, excited and hopeful. Vlad nodded before returning his attention back to his menu. "Really?" he asked, amazed by this news. "I thought you said he was hostile towards you. How did you bring him along and keep him so calm?"

"The watch," Vlad answered casually without looking up. "Go ahead and take a look at it while I order. It is something you'll enjoy."

The obese man with his rich, sweaty suit, squeezed himself into my seat beside me. My eyes flew over to Vlad. He saw my reluctance and gave me a stern look to make me behave. Hesitantly, I held up my arm with the watch and let the man take it into his sausage-like fingers.

"Danny, this is Eli Goldberg," Vlad introduced us as the man messed with the watch. "He's an expert on golems. Mainly the one that resided here in Prague. We worked for a while in college together. He was always so obsessed with that little old golem legend from here."

"Oh, but without me, you'd be so clueless, Masters," Eli said with a wicked grin. He didn't even look up from the watch. He had already figured out the combination and pressed in the watch face. I managed to get by with a small flinch as the painful sensation traveled up my arm. I was getting used to this.

"I wouldn't be useless," Vlad said with all seriousness. He seemed offended by Eli's teasing. "I'd have found you sooner or later. My contact with you was just a lucky benefit to this investigation."

"Very true," Eli said with a nod. He looked up from the watch in thought. He pointed an index finger at Vlad, saying, "You know, you were always so smart that way. Always knew how to use your money to get what you wanted. It takes someone with brains to do that."

He pressed in the watch face again. I hadn't been paying attention, so the pain caught me by surprise. The scream of agony got clogged in my throat. It came out more like a weak grumble as I slammed my head down on the table and squeezed my eyes shut. Why did Vlad have to program that thing to be so painful? It felt like my arm was getting sawed off every time my powers were activated.

"Is he alright?" Eli asked, a little concern in his voice. "Did I do something wrong?"

"He's fine," Vlad said. His voice had a smile in it. I gritted my teeth to suppress my anger, but I didn't move from my curled up position in the booth with my head on the table.

"Then can he turn ghost now?" Eli asked, the jolliness returning to his voice. "Make him show me one of his powers! That would be highly entertaining!" I pictured him clapping his hands in excitement, a kid about to be rewarded with chocolate cake or something. A fat, greedy little kid.

Smiling, I turned invisible.

"Where did he go?" Eli asked, delighted by the fact that I was gone. He looked around, eyes wide in wonder. I still sat in my seat, watching the events unfold with a smug smile coming upon my face. This was fun.

Vlad looked over his menu and frowned at the seemingly absence of my presence. "Daniel?" he barked my name. "Show yourself!" I reveled in the uncertainty in his voice. The smile turned into a wide grin.

"Is he gone?" Mr. Goldberg said. Now he was hesitant and a little weary. He didn't want to be the person to get blamed for my escape. I could see it all over his sweaty, squinty face as he pushed his tiny and fog encrusted glasses higher up his big nose. He was getting nervous. Good.

"He's laughing at us," Vlad growled as he threw himself over the table. I was too slow. I pushed myself into the cushion seat just as his outstretched hand found a good grip on the front of my T-shirt. Once he had me, he yanked me half way across the table forcefully.

A nervous chuckle crawled out of my throat as I turned back visible and smiled sheepishly into Vlad's frowning face. "Hey, it was just a joke," I said, shrugging in the hold he had on me.

"It wasn't funny," Vlad stated, a dark undertone in his voice.

"Heh, tough crowd," I said. Somehow I had found this hilarious and couldn't keep the grin off my face. What was so great about it was the fact that Vlad couldn't do anything about my little trick. I hadn't done anything wrong, really. And he couldn't beat me up here in public, especially in front of his friend.

As if reading my mind, Vlad suddenly looked over to Eli. My eyes followed his, and I had to turn my head slightly to look at the man watching us. I wondered what he thought of us acting like this. When I looked at him, though, something was wrong. He was sitting stock still, and a blank expression was planted on his paling face. A small red dot was in the center of his forehead. It took me a second to process this.

"Vlad!" I whispered in horror.

Eli Goldberg was been killed. Shot in the head. Just like that. Dead.

"Get down!" Vlad yelled at me while simultaneously pulling me across the table. He threw me into his seat before throwing up a pink ghost shield. Not even a second later, an explosion erupted from where I had been sitting. The heat waves slammed into the shield as did debris from the seat and table that got obliterated into confetti.

The power of the heat waves threw back the booth seat we were on. It rolled backwards, slamming both of us down on the floor on the other side. I rolled out of the protectiveness of Vlad's shield, stunned beyond belief.

At least I was comprehending enough to kick down the booth table we had landed under to protect me. It was perfect timing. Just as table clunked to the ground, I heard the firing of a gun. The bullets ripped into the table, turning the edges into swiss cheese. I sat behind the table, covering my head with my arms as smoke filled my lungs and the distant screams of the innocent bystanders made a blast of chills rush down my spine.

The bullets abruptly stopped. My ears rang in constant echoes from their noise. For a moment I just sat there, rocked from what had just happened. The smoke filtered down to a misty haze. The stuff stung the back of my throat and made me cough.

"Quiet!" Vlad's voice hissed into my ear. His gloved hand from his Plasmius form wrapped itself around my mouth to keep me from making anymore sounds. He pulled me close, preventing me from moving. His sudden near presence scared me. I found myself breathing hard through my nose and hearing each pound of my heart as it rushed with adrenaline.

The scream of the crowd died down as most people ran fearfully out of the restaurant. I couldn't tell what was going on behind the table because Vlad and I were facing the wall with two booth seats on our sides. Why weren't we turning invisible and flying out of here?

"We got you cornered, ghosts," a male voice said loudly from what sounded from the entrance of the building. He had a Japanese accent. I tensed up instinctively. Vlad felt my muscles react and gripped me harder to prevent me from bolting.

Another voice with a thicker accent said with an evil chuckle, "We have both your ghost signatures right here. So even if you turn invisible, we still have our eyes on you. You two can't hide."

"Yeah, how 'bout you two scum bags save the heroics for later and come quietly," the first voice said, a smile in his tone. I got the suspicion that he liked his job. They both waited for our answer.

"Divide and conquer," Vlad whispered into my ear from where he sat behind me. "You'll have to be quick about getting out here. But once we split them up and are able to fight them, I believe we can get away. Meet me at Eli's house after you defeat your guy."

"I...I don't know where his house is," I whispered quickly. "And what if I get caught? These guys seem serious. I-."

"Here's his card!" Vlad cut me off with a cruel hiss. He pressed Eli Goldberg's business card into my hand. "It has his address on it," Vlad told me, still gripping my shoulder as if protectively. "And don't you dare even consider the possibility of escaping this way. Even if you do get caught, I'll pull the trigger if you don't show up in an hour from now. So you better do this right. Understand?"

"Yeah," I said softly.

"Good," Vlad said. He patted my shoulder he had been holding as he leaned toward the side of the table that was protecting us. He glanced back at me and noticed my less confident expression. A grin spread suddenly across his face. "You'll do fine," he told me, the first pep talk I had heard from him. He wasn't very good at these things, was he?

"Easy for you to say," I muttered as I got ready at my end of the table. He wasn't the one who was doing this to prevent someone from dying. But, really, if my plan worked out already, my dad wouldn't have the watch on him and would be completely fine. My only problem was that I didn't know for sure if Jazz had done her job yet. I planned on getting back into contact with Sam and Tucker once I was back in Japan, if that was even possible with Vlad handcuffing me at night now. So I had no way of knowing my dad was okay yet or not. I couldn't risk it.

Letting out a long breath, I searched for the cold core inside me now and pulled it to its surface. I relished the feeling of the rings as they turned me into a ghost. All in the matter of seconds, my take on life had changed. The colors of my vision deepened and ripened. The pulls of gravity on my body were no more. Instead of the constant warmth, the world felt cold and chaotic now. The extreme contrast always hit me hard when I went a long time without going ghost. This time was no different.

"Go on my signal," Vlad said from his side of the table.

"Well, ghosts, what are your answer?" the first voice barked at us. He was getting impatient with out silence. That was pretty obvious. "We can always just come in there and get you by force. Wouldn't it be nice if ghosts could die? This job would be much easier," he said sardonically.

"Now!" Vlad whispered suddenly.

My legs sprung out of their crouch with these words. I turned intangible just as I blasted through the booth seat. My body I kept close to the ground, and my speed I kept swift. Still, it wasn't fast enough.

The net flashed across my vision so suddenly, that I flew right into it. I didn't even know what was happening till it was too late. The net tightened around my body and prevented me from pursuing my goal of getting out of the building. Instead, I was pulled backwards forcefully halfway across the restaurant and landed awkwardly on my hip before sliding to a stop on my side.

"Damn ghosts," the first voice spat in disgust. "Always disregarding us humans. Yamamoto, go get the other one! Hurry!" Receding foot falls faded off behind me as the second man ran to chase after Vlad.

From my place on the floor, I could hear the other man's footsteps as he leisurely walked up to me. My hands burst into green flames of ectoplasm. The second they did so, the net activated. A zap of electricity struck my body, crippling me for a brief second. Groaning, I slumped back to the floor. Okay. Shooting my way out of there was a bad idea.

"What is with nets and volts of electricity?" I grumbled as I struggled to my hands and knees. "I guess Skulker's idea is the new fad for ghost hunters now."

Something metallic was shoved against the back of my neck. I stiffened at the chilling feel of the gun pressed against my bare skin. Gritting me teeth tightly together and balling my hands into fists, I held in my fear and forced myself to think clearly. The fear of a gun was only a common human reaction.

"Don't move, ghost kid," the man commanded me. He cocked the gun. My ears could hear the faint hum as it charged up. The buzz on the back of my neck told me this was not a normal gun. It was one like my parent's. These ghost hunters knew what they were doing.

But that didn't make them experts.

"Going down," I said in sing-song voice. Chuckling, I phased into the floor and through the net without much difficulty. The man swore at my tricky disappearance. He shot the ground where I used to be as I flew up behind him while invisible.

"Hey, Jackie Chan!" I called down to the man. "Up here!" Offended and bewildered, he spun around with a glower upon his face. I gave him a cheerful little wave. It was only then that I got a good look at him.

He was the average Japanese guy with black hair, dark eyes, and normal height. He even wore a crisp and clean black suit that looked pretty nice on him. It was expensive too. In all other circumstances he could be a handsome Japanese millionaire. The only thing out of place was the lethal looking ghost ray gun in his hand and the long scabbard for a sword strapped to his waist. Those where not normal.

"Jackie Chan is Chinese, you little shit," the man hissed up at me. He raised his gun in an angry, expert fashion and fired off a few rounds in my direction. I knew when it was time to move.

I flew in a circle around the room, phasing through chairs and tables that had been strewn around the space from the explosion. The ray gun smashed into the stuff behind me and things that I was phasing through. Debris of splintered wood, ceramic plates, and abandoned danishes rained down on me as I deftly weaved my way through the legs of furniture.

"He's Chinese? Really?" I asked him, genuinely surprised and somewhat amused. I didn't even mean to offend him that way. "My bad, dude."

_Thud!_

I slammed on my brakes, letting out a small gasp in alarm as I pulled to a hovering stop in front of the silver throwing star lodged in the wooden leg of a table. My head spun around in search for my adversary. I was met with only still silence as the remains of sawdust from destroyed furniture slowly rained down to the floor as if they were snowflakes blessing the ground with their white wonderlands.

I'd lost sight of Jackie Chan! This wasn't good.

A/N: Heh. Forgot to add this author's note in. What I wanted to say is that I'm sorry for kind of leaving you guys in the dark this chapter about who the heck Eli is and then just being random and killing him off. Then I have two Japanese ghost fighters jump into the scene. It made the chapter seem chaotic, I know. That was what bothered me so much about it. Don't worry, though. I'll explain what brain fart my head is going through right now next chapter, which is planned for next week. Thanks for all your reviews! I'll see you guys all next weekend!


	11. Chapter 11 Inazuma

A/N: Well, with Spanish school every morning and with other things that take up time, I think I don't have the time to update this each week, which sucks. But I'm finding myself overworked trying to get two chapters out each week. So my new plan for updating will be in the ending author's note. Please enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Danny Phantom

Chapter 11 Inazuma

Where did he go? Alarmed by this question, I desperately searched for the Japanese man who I'd regretfully lost sight of. My eyes darted around the large room of the restaurant. There was no sound except for my quiet breathing as I sucked in oxygen to catch my breath. I didn't like this silence. It was unnerving.

"Hey! Chan man! Where'd you go?" I called out to try and get him riled up and eventually show himself.

"I'm right here, demon."

Frowning, I spun around to face the man. He was standing with quiet confidence only a few yards away from me. With one arm raised, Chan held his gun aimed right at me. It hummed with a high pitched buzz as it was recently cocked to life. In his other hand there was a little remote with two buttons on it. His thumb hovered over the green one.

"Demon?" I asked in wonder. Although I joked about it, I have to admit I was a bit offended. "Never been called that one before. You Japanese are so creative."

"You won't be making so many jokes by the time I've sent you back to the ghost zone where you belong," the man said with an evil gleam in his dark eyes. "Watch." He held up the remote and pressed down on the green button.

From devices I hadn't seen before that had been set up in a square previously by the ghost hunter, a red forcefield flared up and created a box around both of us. I watched it grow at rapid speed. I would have been too slow to escape it anyways as it closed around the top where the ceiling was and also the bottom, right on top of the floor. It was a good thing I was hovering still. The transparent red force field reminded me of those plastic glasses I'd wear to 3D movies when I was a kid. It plunged the world into a vibrant red, like the dramatic scene of a bad kung fu movie.

"No where to run, ghost kid," Chan said before firing his gun.

I flew downward to dodge the ray then blasted forward, straight at him. He didn't expect my hard offense and faltered for a split second. I grabbed the barrel of the gun and tried to yank the weapon out of his grip. He grunted with his efforts to keep it. I planted my feet on his shoulders and ripped the thing away.

"No more toys for you, Jackie," I said, throwing my arm back with the gun. He swore when I chucked it hard over his head and it fell through the force field. It skittered across the tile floor, well out of the man's reach.

The small sound of a blade being released from its scabbard was heard just before I was able to shove off the man's shoulders. My wide eyes watched as the silver sleek of moving metal slashed down my vision. A sharp sting ripped across my chest as the man's form got smaller as I flew backwards and away.

"Ouch," I hissed in dismay. "That hurt." I looked down and lightly traced my fingers across the perfect vertical line of skin that had been cut open by the blade. Green blood that looked like brown from the blaring red light of the force field slowly seeped out of the wound and stained my black jumpsuit. I caught my breath with realization. That sword had hurt me!

My head snapped up just in time. With a battle yell, the man had thrown himself at me with his sword raised over his head in both hands. For a split second I stared at him in a flash of fear. Instincts thankfully took over. I moved quickly, flying right through his legs because the box was too small for me to go around without the chance of getting sliced to shreds.

I turned around once behind him. He had just slashed downward with his sword again. I used this time to kick him in the head before retreating to the other end of the box as he stumbled forward with a string of curses in Japanese. From my corner, I formed a ball of ectoplasm between two palms. When he turned around to face me, I threw the ball of emerald flames at him with a strong battle yell of my own.

The man saw it coming and smiled. He deftly brought up his sword to block the attack. A frown of confusion and increasing irritation formed on my face as the ball of ectoplasm was absorbed into the blade till it was all gone, sucked into the thing like water through a straw.

"Nice trick," I growled. "What exactly is that thing? Some supped up samurai sword?"

"My orders were only to find you and the other ghost and destroy both," Jackie Chan said with a smug little smile. "The special powers of this katana means nothing to you."

"Orders?" I asked, eyebrows rising in interest. "So who's your boss?"

The man let out a bold laugh that set my nerves on edge. It was a boisterous chuckle that seemed to mock me. I hate it when the bad guy laughs. It always meant he knows something you are oblivious about. Never a good feeling.

"Wouldn't you like to know," he said, cutting off in the middle of a laugh. His sudden serious voice was stroked with venom. It made me grit my teeth together in anger. What game was this man playing?

"Why go after only us two ghosts, though?" I said. "If I take your accent into consideration, I guess I could suspect that your boss is also Japanese. That means your boss is the one who controls that golem that has been attacking drug dealers in Tokyo. He knows that we are looking for him and so sent you guys to snuff us out before we found anything out. Is that it?"

"Ah, close, demon," Chan said with a cruel smile. "But knowing that won't help you now."

Incredulously, I asked, "Why?"

The man laughed as if I had told a joke. Chuckling, he said, "Look around you, spirit. There is no way out of my trap. Your powers are useless against my katana. Sooner or later I will catch you, destroy your spirit energy with my sword, and then send you back into the ghost zone where you belong. Face it, ghost. In here you are _powerless_."

On that word he sprung forward and attacked. The sudden move scared me into action. I forgot the limits of the force field box and flew backwards, right into the glowing red energy. My back muscles ripped with pain on contact. Before I could move away, the cool, sharp edge of Jackie's blade was pressed against my throat. I gripped his arm holding the sword to keep it away.

The strong man rammed a forearm against my chest, shoving me into the force field. The energy cracked under the pressure my body had against it. A small scream of pain made its way out of my throat as it felt like any body part touching the force field was getting seared, as if I was being pressed onto a life size frying pan.

Grunting with effort and from the pain, I planted my feet on the man's shoulders and pushed him away. As he stumbled backwards, he made a quick swipe of his sword. I quickly brought my arms up and crossed them in front of my face as if to protect myself from the sharpness of the blade. The crafted steel sliced right through my jump suit and skin of my arms as if cutting through butter.

The sharp pain in my arms made me gasp and cringe as the pain rapidly seeped throughout my arms. All too soon they were throbbing in agony. Trickles of blood ran down the wounds as I glared at my opponent, furious and fed up.

"You," I spat out in a growl, "have no clue how powerful I can be."

The man laughed again before sneering, "You do not understand how wrong you are, demon."

"Then bring it on, Jackie Chan," I taunted, smiling a little.

The results of my goading were instant. The man surged forward in his rage, cursing me under his breath. I smoothly flew to one side to avoid the first wild swing of his blade. Alarmed at how fast he was, I almost got hurt again as he lunged with a deft stab. I flew back just in time to dodge the blade.

I saw the move that was right for me just as he prepared for a third strike. My eyes blinked once. When I had opened them, they were an icy blue, almost white. They glowed with a cold, frosty energy that overtook my entire body.

The man came down vertically with his sword. Just as he did so, I brought up both my glowing white hands and caught the blade between them. The blade froze on contact with my hands. The ice tinkled as it grew down the sword and covered the hilt with both his hands on it.

Eyes still in on their cool gaze, I looked up at my adversary and placed the palm of my hand on his forehead. He stared back at me, alarmed and scared. I saw it in his eyes that bore into mine like a deer in headlights. He believed he was going to die, that I was going to kill him. And I _could_ kill him. There were many of reasons why I should...and shouldn't. His life was in my hands. Only I decided what to do with it now. Sometimes that thought is frightening to me.

My world felt like a blizzard. The coldness chilled me to the bone. As I turned the man into a block of ice, I wrestled with the cold that struggled with my core ghost energy. Even after he was frozen solid, I still couldn't pull my hand off his forehead.

"I'm in control," I said through gritted teeth. These words brought me back into focus. I pulled my hand away with a long, relieved sigh. I dominated over the cold, drawing it back inside me where it would wait to be released again.

The pain of my cut arms returned suddenly, making me grimace at the rude alert of pain my body had given to me. Instead of dwelling on the throbbing, I let my right hand flow with hot ectoplasm energy.

The controller to the force field was in the man's right trouser pocket. To get to it, I melted the ice by the pocket with the ectoplasm in my hand. I worked quickly. The ice was soon water and flowing down the popsicle of a man. My hand snatched the remote out of the pocket. With a press of a button, the walls of my prison vanished and the world returned to normal colors.

"Here, Chan man," I told the man in a weary sigh. "You can have your little toy back." I wiggled the remote in front his eyes that were permanently stuck in a look of shock. I returned the device back to the pocket before saying with a wry smile, "Have fun thawing."

-Five Minutes Later-

"Come on, Jazz, pick up already," I growled into the receiver of the pay phone. Some nice person on the street had given me some money for it. Of course it was after I'd turn back human in a dark alleyway. I thought that maybe since Vlad wasn't there to breath down my neck that I should call Jazz and ask about dad. Who knew when I'd have the time now that Vlad was handcuffing me at night.

The only problem was that no one was picking up, and I was coming to the end of the change the woman had given me. Why wasn't she answering my call? I thought for sure that she'd be the first to rush to the phone if I called her. She was so desperate to help me. Why ignore me now? Was something wrong?

Finally someone answered. It wasn't Jazz. Didn't take long for me to come to this conclusion.

"Who's this?" Jack Fenton demanded into the phone. His voice, like always, was loud and booming. It surprised me at first. For a moment I was lost for words. After swallowing the lump in my throat I was able to get the words out.

"Dad, it's Danny," I said quietly.

"Son! How are you?" my dad asked with excitement.

"Good," I lied. "Can I speak to Jazz? Is she there?"

"Yes," dad said with a hint of confusion. I waited for him to give the phone over to her. After a few seconds of silence and muffled voices, it looked like nothing was being done. Did my dad just ditch me?

"Dad?" I asked into the receiver. Somehow the agitation showed in my voice. "What is going on? Where's Jazz?"

"Your sister is doing something funny, Danny," my dad said, profusely perplexed by now. "I think she is trying out that thing you kids call interpretive dance. I don't think she's doing it right."

"What?" I said. A sigh exploded out of me as I ran a hand through my hair. This was crazy! What was going on? Controlling my emotions at this point was hard, but I managed to keep them in as I said, "Tell Jazz it's me."

"I did, son," my dad said, "but she keeps shaking her head and moving her hand across her neck." There was a pause. I was too shocked to say anything. Then he asked, "Is this a new way to play charades?"

"No," I said in frustration. "Tell her its urgent." No answer. I waited a moment before saying loudly, "Hello? Dad? You still there?"

"Don't call us anymore, Danny!" the urgent whisper of Jazz cut through the silence. I heard her fumbling to hang the phone up. Why was she doing this? What did she mean by that? The fear rose up in me, tightening my chest and putting a pit in my empty stomach.

"No, wait, Jazz!" I called into the phone almost desperately. "Please, don't hang-."

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

I stared at the receiver in my two shaking hands. My mind had shut down when faced with this new twist. It took me a few seconds of staring dumbfounded at the phone to muddle through everything in my head. I had to think logically. I couldn't let my emotions of being hung up on by my sister cloud my mind.

Okay, so apparently something bad had happened. Jazz was the first out of anyone to volunteer to help me. I'm sure Sam or Tucker had contacted her about the watch on my dad. Then why was she avoiding me? She of all people would never do that to me. That must meant something was up.

But what did she mean by not calling "us" anymore? Did it mean not call her? Or was she meaning Sam and Tucker as well? Just the fact that she didn't want me calling disturbed me. Something behind the scenes was going on. I'm sure it was Vlad. That didn't sit well with me.

I hung up the phone and stood there thinking, still hanging onto the receiver. Finally I glanced at my watch to see how little time I had left to find Eli Goldberg's office. Vlad's hour time limit was lessing fast. I needed to get a move on or I'd regret ever making this detour.

Once back in the alley, I changed into ghost form and flew over the city while invisible. While Amity Park was used to seeing Danny Phantom constantly patrolling the skies, I don't think Prague would appreciate seeing a ghost flying around like a lost puppy. Business card in hand, I searched for the street for some minutes. I rushed down sidewalks and alleys at full speed to save time. Just before I thought I would start to panic, I found the building.

It was a little old five story office building resting the the heart of the city. It was made entirely out of red brick and had big windows for each room. Most of them were open and showed hard working men typing on their computer keyboards and staring stoically into their monitors as if they were all well dedicated zombies.

On the third floor, overlooking the street, was one room with the curtains strictly closed. I saw that the room was the one I wanted from the business card and phased through the window and curtains. Some part of me was curious to see if I'd beaten Vlad there. But I had no such luck. He was already there shifting silently through papers in his ghost form. Typical Vlad.

I took the time to glance around the small room. It smelled of mothballs and dust, as if it had never been cleaned in its many years of use. From the looks of it, I think I was right. Random papers and unmarked folders were strewn around the tables and filing cabinets. The floor was covered with the stuff. A few forests lost their lives in the making of the mess Eli Goldberg had going on in his office.

On closer inspection, though, I noticed that the mess wasn't from lack of organization. Through the tangle of white papers was a broken fax machine, a few phones torn apart, and the destructed pieces of a computer. Old and faded books from an cedar bookshelf were thrown haphazardly across the paper covered floor.

It looked like a tornado had been through the room because someone had searched it and were looking for something. But who? Those Japanese ghost fighters? It seemed plausible. Maybe Eli had known too much about this golem thing too and they needed to get rid of him like they needed to do with us. Maybe he had documents of the thing and they came here first to find and destroy them before killing the man.

"What took you so long, Daniel?" Vlad asked me without looking behind his shoulder. I landed in the middle of the room while turning visible. I didn't give him an answer. Turning to look at me, Vlad said, "It wasn't like you had any other business to attend to."

"I got lost, okay?" I said, cheeks flushing red. It was only the half truth, but it was still kind of embarrassing somewhat. But the question made me suspicious of the man even more.

Vlad smirked at me. "Those cuts on your arms need to be cleaned," he told me with a nod. "But first I need to find that disk Goldberg told me he had made. Darn man had to get himself killed before he could tell me its location. He was an incredibly stupid man."

"But he was your friend, right," I said quietly. The memory of that man's death was a chilling one. Sure, I didn't know the man well and didn't even like him that much. But still. He was human just like me. Just like Vlad.

Vlad halted from getting up from where he had bent down to scrounge around the remains of a computer under a desk. He glanced at me from over his shoulder, eyes questioning me. He then said slowly, "Yes. He was my friend."

"Then why aren't you-."

"Danny," Vlad cut me off, voice firm and hard as he said, "Go check that bookshelf for the disk. He could have hidden it in one of the books." He turned back to his work on the destroyed computer, leaving me to my own means.

Feeling sort of rejected, I turned toward the bookshelf with a sad, forlorn expression on my face. As Vlad searched through the papers and the filing cabinets, I flipped through every book on the shelf and ones dumped on the floor. We kept to ourselves and our own thoughts as we meticulously looked the office up and down for this disk. After a half an hour, I was beginning to believe there was no disk and we'd been sent on a wild goose chase.

After I was done going through all the books and put them in a pile beside the dark cedar shelves, I had to check the bookshelf itself. The top of it almost touched the ceiling, so I had to fly and hover in the air to see the the dusty top shelf. I traced my fingers over the layer of grime on the very top, making weird little designs with my finger as if I had returned to my kindergarden class and was finger painting.

While I was making a quick frown-y face out of pure boredom, my finger found a little crack in the paneling. I followed the crack with my finger and made out a small box shape just big enough for someone to stick their hand in if it was taken out. I saw that if I took the thing off that it could lead into the small hallow space between the back panel and the one that was indented on the top shelf. My interest was peaked.

I dug my fingertips into the edges of the box and pulled the the cut out of the panel up and off. A smile found its way to my lips as I examined the dark hole I had stumbled across. This had to be the place where Eli Goldberg hid his disk.

I felt like a little kid again with the excitement of a treasure hunt. My memories of those fun moments in the sand box when I was five, where you could have sworn something worth while like gold was just under the surface of the sand you sat on, came back as I stuffed my hand into the hole and felt for my prize.

Suddenly my hand brushed against something furry and alive.

I screamed, yanking my arm back out and slamming my head against the ceiling in my fearful reaction of backing away. Vlad looked up from his filing cabinet, surprise and concern on his face. It was a mix of emotions that I rarely ever saw on him. In a second he was hovering by my side.

"What happened?" he demanded.

"There is something _alive_ in that hole!" I shouting, pointing at the secret compartment I'd just found.

"Don't be ridiculous," Vlad chided me as if I was a lying kid.

"No!" I protested. "It was like a rat or something! Feel for yourself."

Vlad rolled his eyes in doubt but stuck his hand in the hole anyways. Probably to prove me wrong. He felt around for a second or two before his eyes flew open in surprise. He quickly brought his hand back out. In it was some furry creature that hissed and wiggled in fear and anger.

Letting out a yelp of pain, Vlad threw the animal to the floor with a curse. It hit the floor hard with a small cry and didn't move at first. "I'll teach that thing a lesson about biting things bigger than it," Vlad growled in his flash of rage. Simultaneously, his hand burst into ectoplasm flames. He hesitated, asking, "Where did it go?"

"Wait a second, Vlad," I told him, pushing him out of the way when flying past him. I had seen the animal run underneath a computer table to hide from Vlad's punishment. It didn't look like the rat I thought it was. Curious now, I flew down to the table it was under and leaned down to look under.

"What are you doing?" Vlad asked me in confusion. I heard him land behind me as I pushed myself under the table until I was practically wedged between the desk and floor. I payed the man no attention. My eyes were focused on the animal.

The frightened creature cowered in the dark, dusty corner with ears flat against its head. The hair all along its spine and tail was frizzed out to make it look bigger. It wasn't working because it still looked like a helpless fluffy kitten. Even its weak little hiss was an empty threat when I reached for it carefully.

"Hey, don't be so scared," I told the kitten in a calm voice. With one hand I stretched out for the animal. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

The kitten seemed to whimper as it pressed itself against the wall at the sight of me getting closer. Something in me sympathized with this frightened creature. So many times I was in the same position it was in. Every time I wanted someone to come in and save me. Maybe I could become the savior for this animal.

Just before my fingers managed to brush against the soft and tangled fur of the kitten, it let out a warning hiss before striking. Its small, sharp fangs sunk into my finger. The sensation made me grimace in pain, but I let it bite me.

When the kitten realized I wasn't mad at it for hurting me, it released its jaws and looked at me with blue, innocent eyes. I found myself smiling and petting the thing. As if transforming suddenly, the kitten began to rub against my hand and purred like a maniac when I scratched it behind the ears and under the chin. A giggle escaped me as it licked me with its sandpaper tongue.

A hand wrapped around one of my ankles and yanked me backwards and out from under the desk. I grabbed the kitten just in time and brought it out with me. It was licking my nose as we came out. I surprised myself when I laughed out loud. When was the last time I did that?

"Is that a..._cat_?" Vlad asked in surprise. He released my ankle and stood over me to inspect the creature in my hands.

"Can't you tell?" I asked him. I got to my feet with the kitten in my arms. "It's a kitten." I held it up for him to see, blowing off the layer of dust that had gathered on its thick fur. It was a deep, midnight black color with white stripes jutting crazily like lightning into the dark color all over its body. It was like a backwards white tiger. Or a feline zebra.

"Then why was it in that hiding place in the bookshelf?" Vlad thought out loud. He leaned down to examine the mini cat more closely. It playfully swatted at his nose. I giggled again, already liking the kitten.

"I don't know," I said with a shrug, "but can we keep 'em?"

"That's preposterous," Vlad laughed. I looked up at him, stubbornly hopeful. He saw how serious I was and stopped chuckling. "No," he told me with a firm shake of his head.

"Aw! Come on, Vlad! Please!" I whined like a little kid. I held the cat up into his face, saying, "It doesn't have a owner or home anymore. I can always take care of it then give it to Sam when we get back to Amity Park. Kittens aren't hard to take care of."

"We don't need it," Vlad said sternly. But I could see it in his face. He was cracking. If he was that adamant about it, he would have yanked the kitten out of my hands and dragged me out of there. He hadn't done that yet, so I knew I'd caught him hook, line, and sinker.

"I know you like it, Vlad," I prodded him relentlessly. I practically shoved the animal in his face. "Just admit it. You've always wanted a cat." As if on cue, the kitten gave a squeaky meow that was just plain adorable.

Vlad scratched under the kitten's chin with a forefinger, smiling absentmindedly at the production of a giant purr. "I know it's cute, Daniel," he said. "But I don't want it. Leave it and let's go."

"Ha! You think it's cute!" I said. "Just let me bring it back to the hotel. I will-."

"Fine," Vlad cut me off with the wave of his hand. I stopped in mid sentence, surprised by this sudden news although I knew he'd break under my pressure. Vlad looked me in the eyes and told me, "But _you_ will take care of it."

A smile hopped onto my face with this words. "He isn't an it," I corrected the man. After a second of rustling through my head for the right word I'd memorized, I said, "His name is Inazuma. Lighting in Japanese. Zuma for short."

"Great," Vlad sighed in exasperation, "You've named it already."

A/N: Aw! Danny and Zuma are so cute! Somehow I had trouble writing that scene. Don't know why. Sometimes the simple things are hard for me to portray. Or maybe it was just the writer's block. Oh well. Whatever it was is gone now and I'm happy with the outcome of this chapter. Hopefully it explains some things that were questioned from the last chapter.

But let's get down to business. With such little time in the week to write, I'm going to alternate each weekend with this fan fic and my other one I'm currently writing. So this week I wrote and updated this chapter. Next weekend I'll update my other fic but not this one. So in two weeks from now I'll update this one again. Sorry, but that's my new plan for updating.

So, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'll see all you awesome readers in two weeks! Thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 12 Disk Talk

A/N: Seems like my new schedule of updating is a good one. I found a nice enough pace to take my time with this chapter. That worked out 'cause I'm pretty happy with the outcome, especially with the first scene. Not much else to say but enjoy the chapter and thanks for the reviews!

Disclaimer: I don't own any Danny Phantom characters.

Chapter 12 Disk Talk

The bright glare of the lights of the hotel room's bathroom was perfect lighting for Vlad to see and patch up my cut arms. I sat on the edge of the sink as he dabbed some alcohol soaked cotton balls on the long wound on my one arm. It stung my nerves and made me flinch with pain. Vlad had to hold me down with one hand to keep me from shrinking away.

In my lap sat Inazuma, sleeping like a baby. He even purred instead of snored. I watched his stomach rise and fall at an even pace as I petted him with my already cleaned and bandaged free hand. A smile came to my lips when he twitched from whatever kitty dream he had going on in that small head of his.

"Why'd you let me keep him?" I asked Vlad suddenly. It was a random question, but it was one that I had been pondering since he had said yes.

"To shut you up," Vlad answered without a pause. A little smirk skittered across his features when he pressed the cotton ball too far into my wound and made me hiss.

"Yeah right," I said. "There had to be some other reason. You always have some selfish, evil intention behind every action."

Vlad glanced up at me as he threw the bloody cotton ball away and brought out the gauze from the mini medical kit we had found in the closet. "Well," he said, "aren't you the perceptive one."

"But I'm right, aren't I?" I said with an obnoxious little grin. "You think Zuma has some connection with the disk Eli Goldberg told you about."

"Yes," Vlad admitted, winding the gauze around one end of the wound. "He put that cat in the hidden compartment for a reason. It will not take long for me to find out why. We need that disk."

"Why?" I asked. Vlad ignored the question. He busied himself with dressing my cut with curt, precise movements...just like how he played chess. "Why?" I asked again.

"I don't have to answer every one of your questions," Vlad told me, voice calm but with a hint of sternness to it. He finished with the gauze by giving it a quick, tight pull and securely tying it into place. He got out the alcohol again while simultaneously gently pushing me back and into the mirror with a hand on my forehead. Another hiss escaped me as he began to dab at the wound on my chest.

"I'm here to help now," I said between grimaces. My hands gripped the sides of the counter I was sitting on to keep myself from shoving Vlad away. "You can trust me with that kind of information. What would I do with it anyways?"

"The problem there is the fact that I don't trust you," Vlad said with a cruel smile.

"You don't trust anyone," I muttered.

"Exactly," Vlad chuckled.

A sigh exploded out of me, which I instantly regretted making because the motion moved the skin on my chest too much and sent little stabs of pain through me. Vlad put more pressure on the hand holding down my forehead to keep me there when I groaned.

"If you just stay still this wouldn't hurt so much," Vlad said with the shake of his head.

"Yeah, but it hurts," I complained. I squeezed my eyes shut and gritted my teeth together as the cut on my chest soaked in the stinging liquid. When I opened my eyes, Vlad' face was close to my own. His eyes were on my wound, and a slight smile adorned his features. Silently, I observed him in this new, bizarre element of makeshift father to me as he cleaned me up.

Suddenly Vlad raised his gaze and our eyes met. He seemed a little surprised to see me staring. "What?" he asked with perplexity.

"Nothing," I said quietly. "Just thinking."

My eyes darted down and away from the man's steady and piercing gaze in my shame for even pondering the thought of Vlad being somewhat fatherly. Sure, I'd seen a more human and tinder side to the man on this trip around the world, but that didn't make him anywhere close to a father figure to anyone. Well, maybe he would if you were seriously screwed up, but you get the picture.

"Don't hurt yourself," Vlad said with one of his irritating smirks. I wanted to punch him. Yeah. Definitely not a father figure.

"Clever," I said sarcastically. "How's that going for you?"

"Pardon?" Vlad asked in his pretend politeness.

"Being clever," I said. A grin managed to find its way to my lips as I said this. "How's that going for you?"

"Quite nicely, actually," Vlad said without even faltering. I could almost smell the smugness oozing off him as I frowned in disgust and defeat. "You belong to me now because of it. That's called success in my book, boy."

He stood back suddenly and grabbed my arm with the watch. As he spun the combination on the watch and put it on the right human setting, I prepared myself for the pain. Even with the knowledge of it coming it still hurt like hell. A gasp escaped me as I rested my hands on the edge of the counter and leaned forward while taking in deep breaths. Beads of sweat collected on my brow and dripped down my back.

Vlad packed up the medical kit as I suffered through the aftereffects of getting my ghost genes all shut off. He glanced a few times at me, but he basically knew the results. I'd get over my pain.

"I need to see your cat," Vlad said after putting away the med kit. He stood over me, his towering form demanding for the animal. He even put out a hand as if expecting my wholehearted obedience.

"Why?" I asked insolently. Did I really want to hear the answer? To protect Zuma, I pushed my back flat against the mirror and picked up the sleeping kitten in both my hands. I brought his little form up to my chest. My dark glare told the man to back off.

"Hand it over, Danny," Vlad commanded with impatience.

"Not until you tell me why," I said as if I had authority.

It must have been the last straw, because the next thing I knew it, Vlad had lunged at me. I raised both my arms up which held the kitten. One of Vlad's hands found purchase around my neck. He tried the strangling tactic as he forced his body weight into his one hand.

"Give it to me now!" Vlad growled out his demand.

"Urgh! No!" I choked back, only raising my arms higher to stay out of Vlad's other hand's reach. To counteract his hold on my throat, I planted the soles of my feet on his shoulders and pushed him back with all my might.

"You're being foolish!" Vlad spat at me.

I gave him a surprised look before saying, "I'm not the one strangling a kid for his pet!"

We wrestled uselessly with each other for a few more minutes until the man had come up with a quick and easy plan to get what he wanted. He grinned maliciously at me as he released my throat and lowered both hands to my chest. To my horror, he began to tickle me. It went all down hill from there.

"No! Vlad! Stop!" I gasped out between fits of laughter. Oh how I hated his guts for this! Succumbing to my humiliating failure, I lowering my arms and let Vlad take Inazuma.

He quickly snatched the kitten from my hands. The second he was done with me, I dove back at him with full intentions of getting my cat back out of the evil hands of my enemy. Before I could get far, though, Vlad had his arm snapped out and my chest slammed right into its palm. The man gave me a triumphant smirk at his victory.

"Come on, Vlad," I pleaded with him. "Give Zuma back." I tried throwing my weight into his palm, but he held me back easily. This only made me more frustrated, and my frown deepen. "You aren't even holding him right. Hold him by the back of his neck."

"You're lying," Vlad laughed into my face. "You don't hold a cat by the back of the neck. That would hurt it." He glanced back at his other hand holding the kitten with a glare. It was pitching a fit. Tiny sharp claws were tearing at Vlad's hand, and it was squirming restlessly to be released.

"Idiot! That's how its mother carries it," I told him. "It relaxes them."

Sighing, Vlad changed his handling on the kitten so that he held it by the skin on the back of its neck. The whirlwind of terror came to a sudden halt as soon as this happened. Inazuma retracted his claws, and his back legs curled up under his hanging form. His big blue eyes looked longingly at me. But he was calm and serene.

"Hm. Never would have guessed," Vlad muttered more to himself than anyone else. He looked back at me with his eyebrows raised in interest and question.

"When I was kid we had a kitten," I explained more calmly now. "If you knew anything about my mom you'd know she likes cats. But my dad's allergic. So we didn't get any pets after that one."

Somehow Vlad knew I had cooled off enough to let me go. He slowly took his hand away from my chest, but he still kept his distance from me. I watched him as he held Inazuma up toward the light to see better. He carefully looked the animal over and moved fur in some places. Finally he found what he was looking for and held Zuma's stomach out for me to see.

"See that little white scar?" Vlad asked me. He traced a finger down a long white line.

"Yeah," I said. A second later I realized what it was for. I thought I was gonna be sick. "He put the disk in Zuma?" I whispered in horror.

"Brilliant, isn't it?" Vlad laughed. I didn't answer. I was too busy holding my breath while Vlad turned his hand intangible and shoved it into Zuma. He rummaged around the animal's insides before slowly bringing the hand back out. In it he held a small memory disk.

My breath came out in a long, relieved sigh as Vlad handed Inazuma back to me, skittish but unharmed. The kitten lightened up when it was back in my arms. He licked me on the chin before bursting into purrs and rubbing against my chest. I bet he felt better with that disk out of him.

"Pack your bags, boy," Vlad told me with an excited grin. He leaned into my face as I looked up at him and said, "We're flying back to Tokyo."

-Hours Later-

The limo was waiting for us just like before when our plane landed at the Tokyo airport. It was midday when we arrived this time. The summer sun hung hot and blazing in a perfect blue sky. I'd never seen the city so clear, so it was nice to see the hopeful orb of light as it greeted me from above when breaking out of the doors of the airport after hours of sitting restlessly on stuffy plane seats next to Vlad.

Vlad and I slid into the depths of the long glimmering black limo. Katsumi Tanaka was waiting for us. The expression on her face was one of a lazy cat's as its owners return home. Relaxed but sneaky.

"How was the plane trip?" she asked us, flashing another one of her dazzling white grins.

"Good," Vlad said absentmindedly.

"Feel like a truck hit me," I said truthfully. All these time zones were screwing me up. I didn't know what sleeping cycle I was on anymore. It didn't matter if I slept anyways. The jet lag would always make me feel tired and worn to the core.

"You need to call Ran soon," Katsumi reminded me after a smile at my actions.

I wanted to frown, groan, and complain. I didn't. A smile was forced as I nodded in understanding, closed my eyes, and rested my head against the back of my engulfing leather seat. The last thing I wanted was to talk to Ran Izumi. I was not in the mood for crazy.

"Over the phone it sounded like you boys had found something worthwhile," Miss Tanaka said.

"We found a cat," I said with a mischievous grin. The woman was taken aback by this kind of news. I hoped she didn't mind having animals in her car, because just then I stuffed my hands into the big pocket in front of my hoodie and brought Inazuma out with a flourish of black and white fur.

"Oh my," Katsumi said, astonished and surprised at the sight of the kitten. "You weren't lying." She seemed to freeze in her shock. Her emerald eyes flickered to a nervous Vlad then to me, trying to gauge how serious we were. Maybe at first she thought this was a joke.

"I can explain," Vlad said in a hurry. He glared at me, whispering furiously at my deflating form, "Put that thing away!"

"Don't be silly, Vlad," Miss Tanaka said with a laugh. She gave a small shake of her head, smiling a peculiar smile at Vlad before holding out her hands toward me. She asked me sweetly, "Can I see the cute little guy?"

"Sure," I said despite the sick twist in my stomach. Maybe I was just being too overprotective. Zuma made a scared mew when I handed him over to Miss Tanaka. When I sat back in my seat, I glanced over to Vlad. He was watching both of us carefully.

I knew that look. I wondered how I hadn't recognized it before. He was calculating something in that big head of his. Some scheme was coming together. But I knew this time it wasn't exactly for me. It was for something else. Vlad was playing multiple games at once. That was interesting. I wondered what he was thinking.

"What's his name?" Katsumi asked me.

The question pulled me out of my useless pondering. I put on a smile before answering, "His name's Inazuma."

"Lightning?" Miss Tanaka asked with delight. She scratched the kitten under the chin. It seemed to smile at the attention. "How suiting." She leaned towards me while glancing slyly over to Vlad. Her hand rose as if to keep what she said next secret from the man. "Don't let your father keep him all to himself!" she whispered loudly to me, playfully looking sideways at Vlad when she said this.

A grin spread across my face. I cupped my hand to the side of my mouth too and said in the same whisper, "He won't admit it now, but Inazuma is his best friend." The lady covered her mouth with her other hand to hide her smile.

To my surprise, Vlad laughed. He leaned towards me to ruffle my hair. As I pushed him away, he flashed me a smirk. I knew why he was doing this. He was trying to get us to look more like father and son. Katsumi suspected something between us. All these weird reactions from him was just his show for her.

A strange thought came to me then. Was I the only one who knew the true Vlad? If he put on a facade for the world except for when around me, then was I the only one to know what the man was really like? But I knew for sure that I hadn't scratched the surface of Vlad's character, so I didn't truly know him at all. No one knew who Vlad Masters/Plasmius was. Maybe Vlad didn't even know who he himself was. It was a good theory. Not one I wanted to delve into at the moment, but it still had its interesting points.

"The reason I love that cat so much is because it had this in it," Vlad said suddenly. His hand retreated into his suit's side pocket and came back out with Eli's hidden disk in it. He held it out for Katsumi to see between a forefinger and thumb. It was roughly the size of a small keyboard key and flat like the memory card it supposedly was.

Katsumi held Inazuma still as she slowly leaned forward to see the disk. Her green eyes held wonder and excitement in them as they took in the device. Again, she reminded me of a feline with that stare, like when a cat finds something of interest and needs to investigate.

The expression calmed down to one more soft and thoughtful as the seconds went by quickly. She petted Inazuma slowly as her gaze traveled back up to Vlad's face. Her head tilted to the side when she asked in astonishment, "It was in the kitten?"

"Yes," Vlad answered a grin. "Genius, right?" The man leaned back in his seat, that smirk still on his lips. I still hated it even though it wasn't meant for me.

Miss Tanaka gave a sharp laugh at his question. "Genius is correct, but then so is cruel," she said. Her attention was focused on Inazuma as she brought him up to her face to rub her nose against his soft fur. "That must have been hard for you, Inazuma-kun," she told him. "I'm going to spoil you this week."

A laugh came out of me. I'd never seen the lady like this. She seemed so normal with the kitten in her hands. You would have never had suspected she was one of the biggest drug lords of Tokyo, Japan.

"Can we focus?" Vlad sighed in annoyance. "This disk is an important part of our investigation. It might even have the answer to who the owner is to this golem."

Katsumi petted the kitten one more time before handing him carefully back over to me. She smoothed her short red skirt down after crossing her legs. Her eyes then pinned themselves on Vlad.

"So it is a golem?" she asked him evenly. Her persona had switched into business mode. It was the complete opposite from two seconds ago. My theory of bipolar was just being proven.

"That's what Danny and I believe," Vlad said, patting me on the head like I was some dog. I resisted the urge to growl and pretended to absentmindedly stare out the window as he continued. He held up the disk again for her to see, saying, "This has information on it all on the golem that used to reside in Prague. It is a cumulative of years worth of research on where it came from, how it was made, and maybe even where it is now."

A grin broke out onto Katsumi's face as she leaned forward to take a closer look at the disk. "I knew you'd pull through, Vlad," she said, impressed with his success.

"I always do," Vlad boasted with ease.

I wanted to bring up the many times I had kicked his butt in the past, but I didn't think it was the right time to do so. Instead, I planted a contemptuous smile on my face, looked up at the man, and said, "Yep. You always do."

Take that, Vladdy. It was a nice little sarcastic stab at his pride.

Vlad's face didn't change, but I could tell I'd hit a nerve by his reaction. He slung an arm around my shoulders and squeezed my one shoulder so hard that I almost let out a cry of pain. He dug his fingers into my muscles and bone. To keep face, I bit down on my tongue. It took everything in me not to retaliate.

"Is it compatible with computers?" Katsumi asked. She hadn't noticed that I was ready to scream in pain.

"That's the problem," Vlad said. I took in a sharp intake of breath as his grip on my shoulder tightened more somehow. No one noticed it because Vlad was saying, "It is a rare memory disk that the man Eli Goldberg used. He was very paranoid about his research and went to great lengths to keep it hard to get to. He was smart to do that. Unfortunately, he's dead now. I have no way to get to the files he left me."

"That's frustrating," Miss Tanaka stated the obvious. But I think she was pondering something in her head and was just responding pensively while she thought on the other subject.

"I'll need to find someone who can transfer the files from this disk," Vlad sighed. He ignored me when I tried shifting out of his death grip. His fingers only ground in deeper. "That could take some time," Masters thought out loud. "I don't know anyone in this city who does that sort of thing. I'll have to look around for a few days for the right one."

"I might know someone who could do it," Katsumi said brightly. Her hand quickly stretched out toward Vlad as she said, "You can give the disk to me, and I'll give it to the person tomorrow morning right away."

"That's perfect," Vlad exclaimed. As soon as he had dropped the disk in her hand, his grip on my shoulder was released. The sudden relief made me give a small sigh as I rested my head back on Vlad's arm.

"Oh, Vlad, he's sweating!" Katsumi said, alarmed. She was meaning me. Apparently I'd started to sweat under the pressure at which Vlad had gripped my shoulder. I even felt a little hot when the lady came towards me and pressed a hand on my forehead. "He's a bit warm."

"He was feeling a little sick on the airplane ride here," Vlad lied. It dawned on me that I was part of his lie set up for Katsumi. Lost for words, I could only manage a weak smile in lady's direction.

"Maybe you and Danny should stay home tonight and get some rest," Miss Tanaka suggested. "We can't allow little Danny-kun to get sick." It was only when she used these little words at the end of names that I remembered that she was from Japan. Her English was just so perfect.

"If you don't mind me staying back, it would be nice to stay and take care of my son while you go out tonight," Vlad said.

"I don't mind at all," Miss Tanaka said with a wave of her hand.

"Good," Vlad said. He then asked as if it was a second thought, "Did the golem make another attack while we were gone?"

Miss Tanaka's face sobered immensely at the mention of this. A small, controlled sigh came out of her before she said seriously, "It attacked two nights ago. A lot of my own men were killed in the process. All of my containers for this month were blown up. An entire police squad was brutally murdered too. It was a great loss."

If I had been hot a second ago, I surely wasn't now. I felt my blood run cold. It was like a spike of ice had been hammered down my spine. This time Vlad gently squeezed my shoulder. He knew what I was reacting about, and the squeeze was a warning to keep quiet.

But that didn't change the fact that she had just described my dream.

-Late That Night-

The slums of Tokyo is not a very pretty place. The slums of any place isn't really nice either, so I guess I'm sorta stating the obvious on that one. But that night made Tokyo's even more depressing than it should have been.

It was raining. Not just a sprinkle, but full out pouring down rain. I'd say it was raining cats and dogs, but I never understood the expression as a kid and have had no success even to this day to deciphering it. To sum it up, Vlad and I were getting buckets of water dumped on us from the sky as soon as we stepped out of our taxi. I was drenched by second two out of the car that sped fearfully down the darkened road and left us alone.

He silently led me down the dirty and slick sidewalk. The puddles of water rippled with rain drops and reflected the erotic glows off flickering neon signs in front of stores. Weary and tired looking Japanese people watched us from their windows and storefronts. They all wondered why foreigners like Vlad and I were walking around their side of the neighborhood. I'd be wondering the same thing.

"Vlad, why are we doing this?" I asked the man while striding up next to him.

"I'm going to get that disk transfered myself," Vlad explained. His head was constantly looking around, and his eyes darted suspiciously from person to person who crossed our path.

"So you don't trust Miss Tanaka?" I asked for confirmation.

"Correct," Vlad said.

"Some friend you are," I muttered.

"You don't trust her either," Vlad pointed out. He glanced down at me to see my heated expression in the warm light of an open restaurant that didn't have anyone in it before saying, "You may act polite around her, but I've seen it in your eyes. You think she's crazy."

"I think you're crazy too, but you never mentioned that," I said. With a hand, I pulled down on my hood to my sweatshirt to block a cool wind that swirled down the garbage and grit ridden street. This rain wasn't going to wash away any dirt this part of town produced.

Vlad abruptly stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. I slipped to a halt beside him. The man grinned when he had caught my moment of misbalance, and I shot him a scowl. He then looked up at the fading red neon sign above a staircase leading to a graffiti covered metal door. My shoulders slumped when I saw him start to go down the trash riddled steps.

"Come along, Daniel," Vlad called over his shoulder.

"I'd much rather stand out here in the rain," I told him. He had activated my ghost powers only a hour before. The thought of hanging out invisible on the sidewalk was better than what my imagination was coming up with what was inside that building.

Vlad stopped in the middle of the staircase to sigh and glare up at me. I knew I was being difficult, but I had a bad feeling about these kinds of places. I'd seen enough movies to know whatever was down there wasn't always on the legal side of the law. Nothing good could come out of this.

My eyes avoided the man's stare as I struggled to make up my mind. Another strong breeze of freezing rainwater blew into my side. My already soaked clothes didn't stand up well against the elements out here.

For the sake of not wanting to catch some sort of bad cold, I forced my foot up and come down on the first step of a stair. Vlad watched me come down the rest of the way before turning around and continuing on toward the door. A bare lightbulb hung from the cracked ceiling. It cast a dim glow of orange upon us.

"Let me guess," I said with a wry grin, "This is one of those bars where they play pool at and bet and gamble on everything illegally."

Vlad smiled a little as he brought a fist up. He pounded it against the door four times. It boomed hollowly at each hard knock. He stood back with his hands stuffed in his trench coat pockets to wait for an answer.

"No?" I asked. "Then it must be some place worse if _you're_ going to it. Maybe a place where they have those illegal dog fights. I'm hightailing it out of here if that's what it is."

Vlad chuckled, but still didn't talk to me. A second later, the small opening in the door at eye level that had been covered was opened up. The eyes that now glowered out at us were dark and thuggish.

"I'm here for Ichigo Toshio," was all Vlad said. The opening closed again.

"Maybe its a place for where gangsters scheme," I guessed wearily. My imagination was getting the better of itself. I needed to shut it off before I panicked and did something stupid. Already my heart was thudding hard against my chest.

The door opened with a loud clank. Vlad, relaxed and confident, waited for the guy who had answered the door as he pulled it open for us. It swung in with a eerie creak that made me grit my teeth. I leaned one way to see around the big dude standing there at the door and to take a better look deeper into the room that I was soon going to enter.

"Or...it could just be a bar," I said.

A/N: I think I like Japanese names too much. Seriously, I spent forever looking through some just for fun to finally settle on Ichigo Toshio. Although, I think Ichigo is a girl's name naturally. Oh well. All I know is that it would be awesome if I married some Japanese guy and we could give names like Hatsumomo, Takashi, and Shinichi to our kids. Ha ha!

Another fight scene is coming up next chapter. Still mulling over some ideas for it, so I'm glad I have two weeks to write it. I'll be back in two weeks with more stuff, so I'll see you readers then.


	13. Chapter 13 Beer Wars

A/N: In the middle of typing the end of this chapter, we had an earthquake. Those things are scary! But it was ironic how the first thing I thought when it hit was, "Crap! If my computer gets destroyed in this earthquake, I'm gonna be so pissed." -laughs- I'm so weird. Long chapter, though, so enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these Danny Phantom characters. Probably never will.

Chapter 13 Beer Wars

A waft of cigarette smoke heavily laden with the stench of alcohol billowed out of the open door before us. The bulky, perpetual glowering man who had opened it stood to the side to let us in. He didn't say a word, but I had the feeling that if he ever talked it would be in one of those low, foreboding voices that would scare kids away. He was doing a good job of managing it with that dark stare. I wanted to run back out into the rainy streets the second I glanced up at him.

I found myself sticking close to Vlad when we walked in. My pace tried to match his confident and knowing one, but it came out more like a quick, nervous one. I had a feeling that kids my age were not usually allowed in this type of place. The impression was clearly made by all the cold stares and glares I got from the men who hunched over their drinks at the sparse tables and booths.

The insides of the bar were dim and dirty. The floor had a layer of grim on it that probably never got mopped. The air held a eternal cloud of smoke that soaked into my clothes and stuck to the back of my throat. It was hard to keep back a cough.

Vlad led us to the back of the building where the bar was and sat down at one of the stools. I sat on one next to him that was cracked with stuffing threatening to come out on the side. The bartender there was cleaning glasses. He glanced with mild interest up at me and Vlad, but his stare lingered longer on me.

"Two glasses of water," Vlad told the bartender as he took off his hat and shook some of the water off onto the floor. He put it beside him as the bartender placed two foggy glasses of water before us.

"So you don't drink either?" I asked the man after a gulp of the tepid water. It didn't taste so clean, but it was better than the tickling, sharp sensation going on in my throat from all the smoke.

"A half ghost has a very low tolerance to alcohol," Vlad said. "Right now is not the time to let your head get clogged with the effects of drink. So, no, I don't drink much." He gave me a small smile here.

"Good to know, I guess" I mumbled, taking another sip of water. It was a good thing that I didn't like to drink then.

We sat in silence for a minute or two. Lately we did that often. To avoid another one of our many heated discussions or childish quarrels, we'd ignore each other and delve into our own personal thoughts. This time my mind went to what had happened earlier that day. The sickening visions of my dream bubbled back into my head. It was hard for me to believe that the dream was all very real. I had really wanted it to be fake.

"Let me guess," Vlad said suddenly. I glanced up at him. He was staring at the shelves of bottles on the wall all containing different alcohols. In the depressing light of the bar, they all looked like evil wizard potion bottles to me. Vlad continued, "You're thinking of that dream you had right now."

My eyebrows rose in clear surprise. What was he? A mindreader? Almost embarrassed to admit that he was right, I said, "Well, yeah. I was."

"Do you usually see real events in your dreams?" Vlad asked with some curiosity snuck into his voice. His eyes moved off the shelves to look directly at me.

A cruel grin flickered to my lips as I asked him, "If I said yes, would you want me to be your slave even more?"

"Well, of course," Vlad said rather candidly. He leaned closer over to me when he said, "Having someone with a power like that under my control would be most useful. You must understand that much."

"Sorry to disappoint, Vladdy," I said, frowning. "No, I don't see crap like that in my dreams. It was the fox spirit who gave me that vision, I'm sure."

"Pity," Vlad said. "And here I thought you were special."

"No one has a power like that," I laughed at him.

Vlad was surprised by this. I knew I'd caught him off guard from the way his eyebrows rose high into his forehead and the way his smile transformed into a tight line of contemplation on his face. He took a small sip of his water while looking at me oddly. He then said, "Don't be so sure about that, boy."

"What do you mean?" I said. "The only people who could ever possess that kind of power would be like ghosts or something. If humans could see into the future or dream real events like I just did, then we'd all hear about it."

"People have a way of keeping secrets," Vlad said will all seriousness. "Just look at you and me. The world doesn't have a clue about us. Naturally, anyone else with a power would keep it hidden. Humans all know when to keep their mouths shut."

"Wait. Have you ever met one of these humans with powers?" I asked him.

"There is a man living in England who can create fire by just thinking of it," Vlad said. "He's old and keeps to himself these days. There is a kid about your age in the United States who can hear other people's thoughts. He's a good runner. I haven't a clue where he is anymore. He'd be very useful to whoever could catch him. There is even a woman in the jungles of Ecuador who can see the future."

"You met all these people?" I asked in suspicion.

"The boy heard me coming," Vlad said with a sort of disappointed sigh. "He had already packed his bags and was out of his apartment by the time I got there. The old man actually showed me his power. It has weaken in his old age. But the jungle girl told me two of her visions of me. The first one was that I'd become mayor of a city." He shrugged. "I didn't believe her."

"When did you go see her?" I asked in wonder.

"It was before I had ghost powers," Vlad said after a moment to remember correctly. He smiled evilly then before saying, "Of course now I believe her visions. You want to know her second one?"

"Yeah," I lied. For some reason I knew it would not be good news to my ears. Maybe it was the way he was smiling so sinisterly that gave me that ominous impression of evil things to come.

"She told me that one day I would rule the world," he said.

There was a long pause as all I did was stare up at him in fearful disbelief. My stomach churned with certain apprehension as my mind turned the subject around in my head. I seriously wanted him to bust out laughing at my expression and tell me he was only pulling my leg. This didn't happen. The man only smiled at me, waiting for my initial reaction.

"You're joking, right?" I asked with a forced, short laugh.

"No, actually," Vlad reassured me, "But what really interests me are the few humans out there that have the reverse effect on ghosts. Have you heard of them?"

I shook my head, swallowing the last of my water down to get rid of the growing lump in my throat after what had Vlad had said. "What do you mean?" I asked him, thankful for the change of subject.

Vlad leaned in closer to me to explain without being too loud. Apparently he enjoyed this subject and believed I'd like it as well. "There is a specific gene to every human being which determines this ability. It makes it so the human will not be effected by a ghost. If any ghost wanted to overshadow, throw ectoplasm, or even phase through the human, that person would never get hurt. Ghost powers don't work on them. Our abilities along with other supernatural beings are useless on humans like these."

"That's cool," I said with interest. "How do they get that way? Is the gene recessive or something?"

"No," Vlad said. "It is a mutation of the gene. Ghost genes are dominant, though. If you and a human have children, almost all of them will have a ghost power. That is how our mutation works. But this type of gene mutation doesn't get carried on to the next generation at all. That is what makes it so special."

"Weird," I said in confusion. "I didn't know that was possible."

"Well, you didn't think humans with abilities were possible till just a few minutes ago," Vlad said with a sly grin. "But now you believe. It is simply genetics, boy."

"Do these humans know about their powers?" I asked Vlad. I was a little surprised how captivated I was about this kind of stuff. It just proves how a year or two of ghost fighting can change a guy. Before my ghost powers I would have thrown all Vlad's words out the window.

"Not many," Vlad answered. "They usually don't come into contact with a ghost and so wouldn't know they had the power. The ones who do don't ever proclaim it. Seeing the dead is most certainly frowned upon in most cultures. The very few who did tell are probably all in insane asylums now. Why do you ask?"

He gave me a nefarious but curious look that produced a quick frown on my face. There was always an alternative motive when I talked to Vlad. He probably wanted to know if I'd met someone with the powers he was just telling me about. What would he do with someone like that, I had no clue, but it was still highly suspicious.

It was time to stop the nice chit chat and call it a day for both of us. The doorman must have thought the same thing. He was suddenly standing behind us. His doom and gloom stare messed up our glares. Interrupted, we both glanced over to the silent doorman in confusion.

"Follow. Me," the man rumbled. What do know? His voice _did_ make kids want to run.

"Stay here," Vlad ordered me sharply by cutting off my path with an outstretched arm. He pulled out a walkie-talkie from a pocket inside his slick raincoat and handed it to me saying, "Keep a sharp eye out for anyone who might give us trouble. Whoever sent those ghost hunters after us know by now we have the disk they want. If you see something suspicious, tell me."

"Now I'm your messenger boy," I said sarcastically. I took the walkie-talkie out of his grasp while saying eloquently into his face, "Goody."

"Behave," Vlad grumbled the stern command.

"Why, Vladdy, when have I done otherwise?" I asked. My pretend tone of shock made the man roll his eyes in irritation. This only got a grin out me. Sometimes it was just too easy to make fun of the guy.

"Don't do anything stupid or something you'll regret while I'm gone," Vlad said as he walked away. Sticky and sweet smile on my lips, I waved goodbye to him without an answer. He could do nothing about me as he followed after the looming doorman to a door at the back of the bar. They entered into the dark room beyond with a loud bang of the door shutting behind them.

A heavy sigh exploded out of me when they were finally gone. It felt good to finally have Vlad off my back. After days with him as my only companion, I was thoroughly sick of the man. His eyes always watched me. Even when it didn't look like it, he was always observing. It was nerve racking!

For a second or two I just glanced around the bar. I didn't really know what to do with myself with all this extra time. It wasn't a good opportunity for me to try and get ahold of Sam or Tucker yet. At any minute Vlad could come out of that door. I didn't want to be missing when that happened. I had to stay put.

Bored suddenly, I fidgeted with the walkie-talkie. It easily balanced on its side when I held it up by its long antenna with a forefinger. Staring dully at the device got me thinking. A sly grin crept to my lips.

I brought the walkie-talkie to my lips, pressed the talk button, and said as nonchalantly as I could, "Hey, Vlad. I got a problem out here."

"What is it?" Vlad asked, all serious. It only made the smile on my face widen.

"It seems like you're an fruit loop," I said with ease. "How do you want me to respond?"

There was a pause. "Daniel?" vlad's voice asked.

"Yes?" I said slowly in a sing-song voice.

"Do you prefer skipping tomorrow's breakfast?" he said calmly.

"No," I said, smile dropping a little. Ah, crap. Now he was gonna deprive me of my food. Such an evil man.

"Then don't call me again unless it is important," Vlad said, sticking a little venom in his voice this time. It actually made me wince before he asked smugly, "Understand?"

"Yeah," I answered dispassionately. "Crystal clear."

After that I left the walkie-talkie alone. It sat on the bar's sticky counter looking all forlorn and unexploited. I stared at the object, spinning my stool back and forth for a while before ordering another water from the bartender there. He looked at me funny, but at least he knew enough English to know how to get me a drink.

My eyes traveled over the drink bottles on the shelves in front of me just as someone came and sat next to me at the bar. He crashed into the stool, probably half drunk already. I hardly glanced at him, thinking he was just another thug from these parts. He was slightly turned away from me anyways. I couldn't get a good look at him even if I desired to.

The bartender and the new guy exchanged words in Japanese as the man brought out a cigarette and lit it with a few clicks of a silver lighter that reflected the gray haze that hung to air like it wanted to make a new climate. The man contributed to the vapor by taking in a long drag to relax himself and blew the smoke out with a depressed sigh.

The poor guy also had a terrible cold. He was constantly sniffing or wiping his nose with a rag the bartender had given him. He chugged down a few glasses of beer, but they did nothing to calm the cough that racked his body.

He _must_ have had a bad day.

Then I noticed the sword scabbard at his side. I was sitting on his left, so I got a full view of it. My eyes were as wide as saucers as they traveled down the weapon's length. Oh boy. This didn't look good.

"What are you looking at, you little shit?" the man snarled when he noticed me gazing at his sword like a moron. I knew that voice. Head shooting up, my eyes locked with his dark and narrowed ones.

The man recognized me in that split second when our gazes met. From the look on his face I'd have to guess that we were both as surprised to see each other as the other guy. I had been hoping that he wouldn't know who I was in human form. But that theory was quickly thrown out the window.

We both reacted as one. My hand shot out for the walkie-talkie on the counter as he reached for his sword. My fingers curled tightly around the device just as I pulled my cold alter ego out of me and slammed myself into ghost form with a burst of the white rings.

The guy already had his sword released and was out of his seat by the time I was ready to retreat from the bar. He plowed a heel into my shoulder, forcing me off balance and to fall back into the other bar stools behind me. My head was snapped back as my shoulders landed on a stool but my head kept going. It was an instant headache.

Stars threatened to pull me into darkness. I fought through the pressing feeling as I brought my throbbing head up. My mind snapped back into working capacity at the sight of a sword point just before it was placed at my throat.

"Chan man," I said with a nervous chuckle. I swallowed the lump of fear in my throat before asking up to him,"How's it going? You seemed to have thawed out nicely."

Jackie Chan smiled with evil glee from where he was towering over me. He had one foot on the bar counter. The other was resting between my legs on the stool. His smile betrayed the dark anger in those eyes of his that rested heavily on me.

"The radio, give it to me," Jackie ordered me. His free hand made the motion for me to fork my walkie-talkie over to him. I hesitated. The device was kind of my trump card here. It would take more than that for me to willingly hand it over.

My eyes darted to the rest of the men in the bar. They had all seen me change form, so I wasn't surprised to have all their wide eyes pointed right at me with mouths agape. For a second I was worried that I'd been too reckless with my transformation, but these guys would never go to the police and report me. Besides, they didn't even know who my human form was. My secret identity would survive.

The sword point dug painfully into my skin at my delay. The sharp sensation made me grimace. I turned it into a doubtful smile as I asked him, "You wouldn't hurt a kid right in front of all these people, right?" I was more stalling for time now.

Jackie gave me another one of his sharp, all knowing laughs. He leaned his head closer to me as he said with pleasure, "You see anyone calling 119, demon?"

"119?" I asked. "You mean 911, dude?"

"No," he answered flatly. "119. That is the emergency number of Japan."

"You sure?" I asked with concern.

"Yes!" he snapped back in frustration. My teeth gritted together to keep in a scream when his outburst made him press his blade harder against my skin. "And no one is calling 119. None of these people care about you. They would sooner wish you dead. Now give me the thing in your hand!"

"You want it?" I asked him. I tested the weight of the walkie-talkie, a sly smile sneaking to my features as the plan was quickly drawn out in my head.

"Hand it to me!" Jackie yelled in his rage.

"Catch!" I said a second after I had flung the chunky device at his face.

It hit him square in the forehead with a loud smack. Grinning, I lifted a leg as the man was momentarily stunned. I placed a foot on the stool his one foot was on and spun it around. He gave a sharp yell as his one leg was yanked out from under him and he went tumbling down from the bar.

He didn't even notice me as I caught the walkie-talkie and phased through the stools and floor when he crash landed painfully. A laugh came out of me as I flew back up behind the bar. The bartender gave me a wide berth. His presence was hardly registered in my brain when I leaned over the bar to look down at Chan man who sat dazed on the ground.

"You want this?" I asked him while dangling the walkie-talkie out over the edge of the counter. "Then you're gonna have to work for it."

_BAM!_

Opening my eyes after the scare of the deafening sound of a gun shot, I saw that my walkie-talkie had been killed. I held the poor thing up to see the gaping hole now installed into it. Well, my chance to update Vlad on our new little problem had been literally shot out of the water. Fun.

I saw the man chock his gun through the hole in the walkie-talkie. Gasping, I turned intangible just as he shot at me again. The bullet smashed one of the many bottles behind me. Glass and amber liquid rained down on the floor. The bartender gave his customer a glare.

"Hey!" I barked at the trigger happy man still pointing his pistol at me. I hovered over the bar counter as I told him, "What is _wrong_ with you? He's one who you should be shooting at!" My pointing finger found the place that Jackie had been to be vacant. Crap.

My head turned just as Jackie had jumped up to the counter and was taking a swipe at me with his sword. I jumped swiftly out of the way with a grim look taking over my face. The blade came an inch away from slicing my nose like it was cheese. I really should be more careful in these kinds of fights, but somehow my cocky sides just overtakes me.

"Jeez, you're persistent, Chan man," I said to the sword wielder. My eyes followed the gleaming metal as it flashed at me with quick, deft strikes. He was fast, but so was I as I darted away with each attack.

"Stay still!" Jackie hissed angrily at me.

Not even a second later, there was another loud bang as the man with the pistol shot at me again. Both Jackie and I paused to cower in fright. Were we just hit? Our heads looked to the second destroyed glass bottle on the shelf behind us before we turned to glare at the guy along with the pissed bartender.

Jackie and the bartender started to yell at the stupid man who couldn't aim. If he was going to shoot at me, he should have at least try to hit me! Well, that was the impression I got from the all the shouts of Japanese from the entire bar. I wasn't paying too much attention to the confusion because I was too busy overshadowing a man in the crowd while Jackie was distracted.

Overshadowing the dude was easy. He wasn't very smart and didn't put up much of a fight when I cut off his soul and substituted my own in his vessel of a body. As soon I was in and working, I made the man raise an hand with a bottle of beer in it. I cracked it hard against the back of the head of the man with the pistol.

It was instant success. The entire room went silent and watched in surprise when the man moaned something and pitched precariously forward. He was lights out before his head even hit the grimy floor.

A painful blast hit me in the back of the head. Cringing internally, I threw myself out of the body and floated into the air to watch the man I had just overshadowed crumble to the ground like the first. By looking around I found the culprit who had knocked out the guy. He holding a smashed beer bottle himself.

It was only then that I realized I had split the bar in half. One half was friends with the pistol guy. The other was against him shooting like a moron. When I had knocked his lights out, I had created some turmoil.

In seconds the beer brawl had began. A scream escaped me as a beer bottle was thrown into the air and sailed through my head. It smashed against the face of one unsuspecting man. Glass, blood, and alcohol mixed with the smoke in the tightly confined room. In an eruption of shouting, the men all went at it.

I hovered in the middle of it all, intangible of course. My widened eyes watched the disaster in sudden wonder. A grin crept to my lips at the sight. It was a nice little distraction, I have to admit.

It wasn't a good enough distraction for Chan man, though. My eyes caught him coming at me through the crowd with sword drawn. He growled in aggravation either from my avoidance or the unexpected fighting going on all around him and getting in his way. I smiled at him as if to try and cheer the poor man up. He was not having a good day at all.

The sword was a blur of metal as it flashed at me. I used the men in the bar still fighting as shields. The katana could hurt humans too, but Jackie didn't want to pierce any real flesh and so would be forced to stop in mid swing to avoid hurting the men. I'll give him this much, he was very skilled. The way he came at me and swerved around the crowd was graceful, almost like a dance that he knew very well. It was very impressive.

I dodged in the same kind of deft way. My ghostly body never stayed in the same place for more than a second. My eyes stayed on the sword. It came and swiped at me like a silver striking snake. Wearily, I jumped and flew in a random pattern around the bar. The fighting men all around us were oblivious of our own battle.

Just when I was getting into the groove of this dance we had going and enjoying the sensation of the fight, my back slammed into the chest of someone. I looked up in alarm and surprise. My heart seemed to sink at the cold red eyes of Vlad Plasmius glaring down at me.

"Heh, I got it under control," I lied with a giant, guilty smile.

Vlad simply shoved me aside like I was worthless baggage. I watched in growing amazement as the powerful ghost came at Jackie Chan without any hesitation. He ducked a swing of the sword and came up with a powerful punch to the man's face. I found myself cringing a little at the sight of crimson blood splattering to the floor from a broken nose.

It took Vlad only a few seconds to completely bring the Chan man down. The broken nose had only been the beginning. Plasmius probably broke a few ribs when he finished the guy off with a last hard kick to his chest. The hit forced the human into a wall where he leaned against it and his sword as he gasped for breath. Blood gushed from his nose and stained the floor. It was a gruesome sight.

But Vlad wasn't done just yet. He wanted to finish the job...permanently.

Bending down, Vlad picked up the pistol from the man I had knocked out just a few minutes before. The men in the bar saw him using the weapon and paused in their fighting to stare frightfully at the new ghost. My chest tightened in terror when he cocked the gun and aimed the barrel at Jackie in a heartless, expert fashion.

"Stop!" I shouted at Vlad suddenly. I found myself placed between the beaten sword fighter and Vlad. My memory forgot how I got there so quickly, but I wasn't going to move away.

"Move, Danny," Vlad told me calmly. "You're in the way."

"You don't have to kill him," I said. The words had just slipped from my mouth, and I realized this was really how I felt.

Sure, the guy had tried to kill me a few times now. He probably wasn't the best model citizen in this country. But he was still human. Still had the same feelings and emotions of me and many others. Even if he was evil, I still had to protect his life. As the superhero I proclaimed to be, it was practically my job to be just where I was. I wasn't going to move.

"I'll say it one last time, boy," Vlad said, some animosity slipping threateningly into his voice. "Move."

He wouldn't shoot at me. The crazy man wanted and needed me too much. I knew this quite well. So I called his bluff another time by defiantly standing my ground. My eyes were glowing with green intensity as they rested on the man. It was almost as if I was daring him to defy me.

"I think the guy gets it, Vlad," I said. "You've already knocked him out of submission for a few weeks. He won't be coming for us in a long while. By that time, we'll be gone. You don't have to kill him. We could just-."

_BAM!_

Extreme pain exploded in my left shoulder. The cry in my throat was cut short, probably from the shock when I was thrown a few feet back from the force of the bullet as it lodged itself in me. Green blood bubbled from my wound. The sight, the smell, and the pain made me dizzy. I had to fight to keep from passing out for a brief second.

I looked up to Vlad in horror and disturbance. The pistol in his hand still had a small cloud of smoke coming from it. He had just shot me! Why? He knew I wasn't going to budge from this spot! He knew my character well enough to know. _He knew!_ Then why did he shoot me?

Hands grabbed me from behind before I could wrap my head around the matter. Chan man's sword found its way to my throat as he wrapped his other arm around my chest to keep me still. My heart pounded hard against my chest in my new fear, and my stomach twisted uncontrollably. I was now a hostage.

"Let me go, or your ghost kid gets sliced to shreds," Jackie seethed at Vlad, pressing the magical katana more into my skin. Another wave of dizziness hit me hard. It took everything in me to keep it together.

"Idiot," Vlad muttered before pulling the trigger again.

My eyes squeezed shut as the echo from the blast of the gun continued to ring in my ears. The feel of hot splatters of blood on my face was almost too much for my senses. Eyes still closed, I heard the man behind me drop his sword. It clanked hollowly against the floor before I heard the soft thump of the dead man drop too.

Pain and emotion overwhelmed me. Gasping for breath, I placed a hand over my still bleeding wound and cringed against the agony that racked me. Although I didn't want to, I also glanced down at the dead man lying lifelessly at my feet. He had been killed painlessly with a shot through the forehead. Still, I had been useless to prevent it.

I hadn't even known his name.

Tears welled up in my eyes. They threatened to escape their boundaries as hard emotions hit me. I _really_ didn't want to cry again. I wanted to be strong. I wanted to believe that I could take this and move on. I wanted to show Vlad my strength instead of weakness.

I was strong. I could do this. I just needed to pull myself together.

"If he had only been thankful for your incredible stupidity and boldness in keeping him alive, I might have spared him," Vlad said as he walked casually to my side. He glanced down at me before taking my chin in a hand and lifting it up so I had to look at him. "You're alright," he said lightly.

I gave a sniff to try and quell my surging emotions. Vlad let my chin go, tossed the pistol to the side, and steered me toward the door by grabbing me by my shoulder that wasn't wounded. The men in the bar only stared in shock as we left the way we had come. Even the scary doorman let us go with a little astonishment flickering in his dark eyes. He slammed the door shut behind us.

The first sob hit me hard and from seemed like nowhere. One second I was following Vlad up the stairs and to the street where it was still raining. The next, I was sitting wretchedly on the cold concrete ground. This was pathetic and sad, but it was like I was on autopilot with my emotions. I had little control.

Vlad watched me silently for a few seconds from where he stood a few steps higher than me. His face was expressionless. Finally, he had seemed to have enough and kneeled in front of me with almost a sad look in his eyes.

"Daniel," he said softly, "We need to get back to Miss Tanaka's house. That bullet wound needs to get cleaned right away."

"I just want to go home," I whispered with another heavy sob. I had met a breaking part inside of me. The cold murder of that ghost hunter had tipped the scales of my emotions. Now it felt like if I didn't get them out somehow I'd just break apart. It was a totally lonesome and horrible feeling.

Vlad reached out a hand to me and captured my chin in it once again. I shivered at his touch. We stared into each others faces for a silent moment before he said forcefully, "You're still mine for a few more days. You do as I say. Now, shape up and get to your feet. I'm not through with you just yet."

I did what he said with a sniff and pushed the tears away with the palms of my hands. But I made my feelings well known with a strong, fierce glower. I _hated_ him.

This only made Vlad smirk.

A/N: That was a fun chapter to write. And I'm sorry it got out a little late in the weekend. My parents threw an all-nighter for the youth group they are leaders for and so I didn't sleep all of Halloween night. So tired. But, I'm loving your reviews. You guys are make this fic ten times more fun. I'll see all of you readers in two weeks! See ya then!


	14. Chapter 14 Cabinet Disaster

A/N: Kind of a fun chapter. Nothing more to really say, so I'll let you guys get to reading it. Thanks for all your reviews and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Danny Phantom.

Chapter 14 Cabinet Disaster

We found the bathroom's lighting to be the best place to clean me up again. Also, Vlad and I suspected it was the only place that Miss Tanaka didn't have cameras in. It was safe from any suspicious eyes.

We didn't exchange a single word on the ride home. I was in too much pain and shock to speak anymore. It was a good thing I was still in ghost form, or I would have passed out by then. My ghost form kept all pain registers lower than a human's, giving me more stamina and strength for fighting. In this case it kept the agony in my shoulder just below excruciating.

The two of us snuck back into Miss Tanaka's house by phasing through the building and into our dark room. Vlad ushered me into the bathroom as soon as he could and brought out an emergency med kit from his suitcase for me. I remember watching him taking things in and out of it to prepare for cleaning me up, but my eyes saw nothing. My body and mind had been put on autopilot. Everything inside me was vacant.

Vlad worked quickly and efficiently with my wound. Somehow he knew exactly what to do to patch me up. I felt safe in his hands when it came down to simple medical procedures like this. It was ironic, because he was the one who did this to me.

After cleaning the wound with a rag soaked in alcohol, Vlad had to hold me down as he used some tweezers to retrieve the bullet that had been lodged in me. I was lucky that it hadn't shattered any bones. I wouldn't have to be shipped off to some hospital. That was the last thing Vlad and I needed that night.

"I need you to be very still for me now," Vlad said in a quiet, steady voice while sitting me up on the bathroom counter. My eyes traveled down to his hands. He was threading a needle with a thick thread.

Instinctively, I tensed up and attempted to scoot away from the sharp object. Vlad's hand shot out and grabbed my other shoulder. I was forced to stay where I was with my heart racing in anticipation of the pain to come. Vlad didn't even look up from his work as he squeezed my shoulder reassuringly.

I watched as Vlad brought up the needle to my chest. Our eyes met for a brief second. He must have had seen my anxiety, because he suddenly turned my head away with his other hand. My eyes were imposed to stare at the ceiling.

The movement took my mind off the pain as he plunged the needle into my skin. A grunt came out of me as I winced from the sharp pinch of the needle as it moved through skin. Vlad worked methodically on the stitches, only going as fast as he thought he needed to do the job right.

"You knew," I said finally. My quiet voice sounded strained and weak to my ears. I hated it.

"Pardon?" Vlad asked without looking up or faltering with his stitches.

"You knew I wasn't going to move," I said softly.

Vlad didn't say anything at first. He finished up the stitches and cut the thread with a pair of scissors. Right when I thought he wasn't going to talk to me, he said, "Yes. I knew perfectly well you would never move out of my way. So I shot you."

My eyes narrowed in anger and sudden confusion. "But I'm too important to you," I blurted out my thoughts. "You would never shoot me if there was a chance I'd get too hurt. And you'd never be able to kill me. You have too many plans for me. But you knew I'd stand there and take a bullet anyways. So there was no reason why you would shoo-."

I was strictly cut off when Vlad took my chin in his hand and smiled knowingly into my face. His cold eyes bore right into me, this time liking exactly what he saw. He was pleased with me.

For some reason, this scared me more than anything. My heavy heart thudded violently against my chest like some drummer playing at a rock concert. It felt like a block of arctic ice had shot up my spine, making me catch my breath. It took everything in me not to look away from his gaze. I bravely stared back into his eyes, trying to survive this one frightening encounter.

"All your strategic thinking is correct," Vlad said, releasing my chin. I realized that I had been holding my breath. Now I had to gasp quietly for air as my body shivered uncontrollably. Vlad noticed this with a look of wicked pleasure.

"Then why did you shoot me?" I asked the man, voice hard. My fear for the man had snapped me back into reality. Vlad might have shown me a kind side of himself to me at times this week, but that shouldn't have made me fear him less. My old, weary feeling for the man had returned. The emotion was refreshing to my senses.

"Simple," Vlad explained smugly, "I took into account the personality of the hunter you were protecting. You only fixed me into your factoring. I analyzed both you and the hunter. I knew you would never move, so I moved you myself so you would fall into the hands of that hunter. He would never feel thankful toward a 'demon', so I knew he'd use you as a hostage. But when he did that, he was open for attack from me. I chose that time to shoot him."

"You didn't have to kill him!" I seethed.

"Don't tell me you still think so innocently after what had just happened," Vlad shot back at me. "That human you were trying to save was not someone you should have wasted your time on. He's an assassin of both humans and ghosts. His boss snaps his fingers, and that man will kill at will. He was even willing to kill a child in the middle of a bar with witnesses."

"He was still human," I fought back. "You can't just tell me that I should have let him die because he was a bad person."

"So are you willing to die for a killer?" Vlad asked me. "Are you willing to die for me, even? Hm? Good question, isn't it, Daniel? What if I had let that man survive and he went back to work murdering people for his drug boss? You would be letting him kill those people. When you tried to protect him, you were doing nothing but provoking future deaths."

"Shut up!" I hissed at him in anger and a flash of uncertainty. "I did what was right! You wouldn't understand, Vlad. You can _never_ understand. You've never done something good for someone else in your entire life! You know why? Because you're a selfish, evil man who knows he's smart enough to get whatever he wants. You think no one is on the same level as you, so no one matters."

Vlad put his hands on either side of of me on the counter I sat on so his face was only a foot away from my own. His lips twisted into a mysterious, devious smile that seemed to mock me. I glared back at him, making it clear that I wanted him to back off.

"I've done many good things for others," Vlad said as he leaned in more toward me. The movement was like a challenge. He wanted a reaction or comeback as he said, "Don't forget how many times I've saved your life this week."

A cruel grin came to my features after a second of thought. I shot back into his face, "I wouldn't have almost gotten killed so many times if it wasn't for you in the first place. And you only saved me those times, not because I was an innocent teen, but for your own personal gain. I'm only a toy, an experiment that you believe is yours. If I didn't belong to you, you wouldn't have moved a finger to help me."

"Oh, you're quick tonight," Vlad laughed in amusement. He was liking this. I didn't understand why. My bafflement only made my anger heighten. "So answer my question from before. If that man was going to shoot and kill me, would you have protected me too?"

"Yes," I answered in a growl. It was the truth, though. My job was to save people. I would have taken a bullet for Vlad, even if he was a monster. If it felt like the right thing to do, I wouldn't have hesitated. Although, at the moment I felt like strangling the guy, saving someone else from doing the job. It was nice little thought that kept replying over again in my head.

"Why?" Vlad asked me without waiting more than a second after the answer. Had he planned this conversation out already? How much of his life was plotted out? It was an interesting thought.

"Because, unlike you, I care for others," I retorted.

"So you care for me?" Vlad twisted my words around. "Why? I've only treated you like a dog the moment we met."

I didn't have an answer. I felt like a witness being cross examined on some court case, with Vlad being the lawyer. Instead of saying anything, I let out a long pent up sigh while looking to my side. If I said no, I'd be contradicting everything I believed in and had just told him. If I said yes, I knew he'd have some good answer or question for it.

It was like the chess game I had been playing had suddenly gotten too hard. I just realized I was way over my head, my opponent was playing harder than I was, and I was miserably losing at a fast pace. It was time to slow things down before I got in too deep.

"Hm? Run out of words, Daniel?" Vlad chuckled lightly. "Or do you just not want to answer?"

"I'm too tired for this," I said flatly. Vlad raised his eyebrows in interest when I looked back at him with a dull stare. I wanted this conversation to be over. "Please, just let me sleep, Vlad," I sighed.

Vlad stared at me for a good few seconds as if in thought before deciding that I wasn't in the best of conditions to be arguing with him. He moved back to the med kit and rummaged through it as I waited with waning energy. At that point all I wanted to do was curl up in my bed and sleep all the pain and emotion away. It was like my mind and body craved for the dark, peaceful void of sleep.

"Take these," Vlad ordered me. His hand was suddenly in my face. It held a few pills for me to swallow. "They are pain killers. You'll need to take them every few hours. Remember them. Do you need water?"

"Yeah," I said, taking the pills with my one hand that didn't give me grief with every move. As I swallowed the huge and dry pills, Vlad handed me a plastic cup of water. I gulped that down too.

Vlad took my wrist with the watch on in his hands. I idly watched him as he spun the combination and programed it to the right setting. The second he pressed down on the dreaded watch face a final time, my entire body went rigid with pain. It swelled to a peak, mixing with the weakness my human body felt but had been repressed before by my ghost side.

For a brief moment I guess I passed out. The world had all the sudden got fuzzy, and I felt myself pitching slowly forward. When I came back to reality, Vlad was holding me up by my shoulders and looking at me strangely.

"You'll probably need help just getting to your bed," Vlad said with a smile.

"I can get there just fine without your crappy help," I grumbled back, shoving him out of my way as I slipped off the counter. The man watched with a smug smile as I stumbled past him and out into the dark, cool room. There, I found the bed and practically collapsed onto it with complete exhaustion.

Inazuma awoke from wherever he had spent his night in the room. He jumped up onto my bed and ventured over the silk covers to me with a burst of wild purrs. One of my heavy eyes opened to look at him. He slammed his fuzzy face into mine. I found myself smiling sadly into his crazy colored fur.

Tears sprung to my eyes. I was thankful for the darkness that hid them from any watching eyes. A long scared and shaky breath escaped me as the day's events repeated themselves in my head. They consisted of harsh flashes that compelled all kinds of emotions.

Zuma's sandpaper-like tongue scratching lightly against my face brought me back to the present. He rubbed his body against mine as if trying to console me. I focused on him as I drifted off into sleep. He curled up next to me and did the same.

The last thing I remembered before letting dreamworld take me was his steady purr. It was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.

-The Next Day-

I woke up to pain. My entire shoulder with the wound throbbed in agony. The painkillers had worn off long ago it seemed. The pain took away my usual morning grogginess. Groaning, I sat up.

Inazuma tumbled into my lap from where he had been sleeping soundly on my shoulder. He looked around dazed and confused before shaking it off with a wide yawn. Seeing him yawn made me do the same. Something about seeing someone yawn that makes you want to do the same. It's a weird thing. You're probably yawning right now, right?

My eyes caught the pill bottles on the bedside table. Beside them was a tall glass of water, some pills, and a note for me from Vlad. I ignored the nicely written handwriting as I grabbed the pills and water and gulped them down.

After a heavy sigh, I picked up the note and read it. It only told me which pills to take and when to keep the pain away. It also told me to stay in the room until he got back, which would be at three in the afternoon. After a glance at the digital clock, I realized I was free from the man for at least three hours.

I had better make the best of it, I figured.

After a small stretch that ended in a hiss of pain the second I moved my wounded shoulder, I got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. Inazuma followed me in like a loyal dog sticking to his beloved master. I smiled down at him, thankful for his friendship.

Some confusion went on as I pondered over showering. Was it okay to get my shoulder wet? Vlad had wrapped some gauze and padding around it just incase I tore the stitching. I didn't want to take that off. In the end I decided to wash my hair in the sink. Zuma watched me the entire time, blue eyes deep with interest.

I flung a towel over my head when I was finished and walked back out into the room. The sudden sight of Katsumi Tanaka made me freeze in my tracks. She sat on my messy bed with one of her curious cat looks on her sly, sharp face. Her dazzling green eyes took me in with as much interest as Zuma had when I had been washing my hair.

"Was your shower nice?" Katsumi asked. She flashed me another one of her captivating smiles, as if showing up randomly in her guests' room was normal.

"Yeah," I said, nodding. I didn't move. My gut was telling me this was wrong. Why was she here? I didn't like this. That saying of red flags going up in a person's head came to mind. I understood it now.

It was like a red flag was being swung to and fro in my head at the sight of her in that crimson colored kimono-like silk robe. She had tied it so all her womanly curves were shown. The bottom of the robe had white lily patterns bursting out. Her long legs were mostly bare from where they were crossed perfectly and precisely in front of her. It was like she was posing.

"Are you feeling better?" Katsumi said with an innocent tilt of her head. Her long, dark hair cascaded over a slender shoulder. What was she trying to do? Seduce me? This was freaking creepy! Like Vlad-like creepy. And that's saying a lot.

There was a second of confusion. I didn't understand what she was asking until last night's events came back to me. Vlad had lied to her the other day and made it look like I was sick so she wouldn't suspect anything as we snuck out to get the disk copied at the bar. It took me a second to remember this and come up with a good answer.

"Yeah," I said again, this time smiling a little. "Still a little weak, though. But I'll be fine. Probably all these time zones got to me. That's all."

"Do you travel a lot?" Miss Tanaka asked. She seemed genuinely interested, but my instinct knew better. She was prying. She wanted to pick at me till she got something she wanted. I'd seen Vlad do this millions of times. It was best to trek carefully.

"Not a lot with my dad," I said, which was kind of the truth. I traveled a lot with my parents, but this was one of the first times I'd taken a trip with Vlad Masters. I hoped it would be the last.

"Is it because of school?" she asked with another one of her smiles.

I had to take a deep breath before answering, "Yeah. It keeps me pretty busy most of the year. I hardly get to see Vlad with the amount of homework they dump on us kids, you know?" As I said this, I rushed off to the beside table to stuff the note and pills in the drawer there. I hoped she hadn't looked around already and found the note. That would be suspicious on her part.

"Interesting," Katsumi said while recrossing her legs. "I didn't know you called him Vlad."

I gave a small cringe. She had gotten something she had wanted. Her suspicion that Vlad and I were not related was her reason to talk to me. At least now I knew her motive. My slip of the tongue was not helping to patch up the doubt she had created inside her head.

"Sometimes I call him Vlad," I said while turning to face her again. I was gonna have to make up some fake baggage here before my cover was blown right out of the water. "Just feels weird calling him dad when I only see him a few months out of the year. That's even if I'm lucky. We don't talk much either. It's like I don't feel connected to him at all these days."

Katsumi listened to me intently. Those eyes of hers never left my face. Her face showed her sympathy for my relationship with my "dad" as I lied straight to her face. I really hoped she couldn't see me sweating like a pig under my shirt. It was a good thing she couldn't hear my heart. It was slamming so hard against my chest that it made my shoulder hurt with each wild thump.

"You might not believe me, Danny, but I understand what you're going through," Katsumi said with some empathy for me. When I said and did nothing, she patted the bed beside her for me to sit. My teeth gritted together as I tried to diffuse the tension inside me and sat quickly.

"My parents didn't pay attention to me in my early years," Miss Tanaka sighed sadly. "They constantly sent me to private schools. I did not get to see them even on holidays. They were always so busy. It is hard for any child to be left alone like that by their parents. Your father's parents were the same way with him."

"Really?" I asked. The conversation was awkward 'cause I didn't really know the pain of being a kid who was ignored by his or her parents. Well, not completely. Ever since my ghost powers, I'd kept some strong boundaries between my parents and me. That was my doing, though. I'd hate to think about any kid who had that for their entire life.

Maybe that was the start of Vlad's psychotic life. But, seriously, it didn't give him the excuse to torture me. He'd always still be the same old crazed up fruit loop in my mind. That man hadn't earned any pity from me.

"Your father is probably treating you the way his parents brought him up because he doesn't know a different way," Katsumi suggested. Sure. I'm sure his parents always had let's-shoot-our-kid-in-the-shoulder-but-not-kill-him nights in the Masters household. That would explain _so_ much.

"Doesn't make it less hard, though," I pointed out. Although this conversation was based on my quick fib, I still had to put some effort into it. You always have to make the lie believable. It's like rule one to Vlad's lying handbook. I was learning something from the man this week alright. And it was how to lie your ass off. As you can see, I was thrilled to have such prestigious training.

"I know," Katsumi said with a nod. She put a hand on my shoulder to give it a gentle squeeze, but all it brought was a grimace-like smile as I tried to ignore the fact that she was crushing my wounded shoulder. "But it does get better. And Vlad is only trying to be a good father. He is letting you focus more on your studies and grades than on emotional things. He wants you to succeed in this world. You will see one day that he is doing the best he can for you. You will be thankful for his decision."

No. She was wrong. Who cared if you succeeded in the work world if you had no connection with your family or friends? I would rather work some crap job that I liked then suffer through some good paying job that I absolutely hated! And I would rather have no money and a family who loved me than rule the world with everyone hating me.

Maybe I really was different than most people. Those were my beliefs, but that was it. I had no clue how the rest of the world felt about that subject. It scared me. How much of the rest of the world was obsessed about money over love?

"I guess so," I said to her after my moment of thought. My shoulders managed a weak shrug that made me want to wince again.

Miss Tanaka sighed with some hint of satisfaction. I dared a small smile as if in thanks for the talk. It earned me another one of her dazzling grins before she reminded me, "You need to call Ran still. That is the reason I came in here. Do you have a cell phone you can use?"

"No," I answered with a shake of my head. On the outside, I was calm and casual. Inside, though, I was tense. If she gave me a phone while Vlad was gone, I could call Sam or Tucker and get the information I needed out of them without any suspicion. It was perfect!

"Don't worry," Katsumi said. She stood as she said this. Her silk robe billowed wildly around her perfect legs. "I have a cell phone in the kitchen. You can eat something there while you're there. You must be hungry."

"Yeah," I said, standing with too much excitement. She saw the movement and flashed me a confused but also mysterious smile as she headed for the door. Her movements were like a prowling lioness. She moved with lazy confidence that commanded obedience. She was interesting to watch, but only at a distance.

We arrived at the kitchen a moment later. It was lit up by bright and cheerful sunshine that blazed through the large glass doors that covered the far wall. The doors led to a little stone patio that served as a mini garden. Bamboo stalks gave it that little oriental feel. She also had a small zen garden there with an ancient, moss covered stone planted in the middle of the sand designs.

"My phone from the States is on the counter, Danny," Katsumi said as she slunk down another hallway into the unknowns of her house. "Help yourself to what you need."

"Thanks!" I called after her, smiling from ear to ear. She didn't answer, probably too far away to hear me anyways. I didn't care. This was the mother load of all freedom. I wasn't going to waste a second.

First things first, I texted Ran. Calling her would have wasted time. Besides, I wasn't good with words around her. It was better this way. The message I sent her said to meet me at a restaurant in the city that Vlad had told me in his note to invite her to. The time would be eight that night. It was simple and sweet. I had a feeling Ran would like that better than an awkward conversation.

My head debated either calling Sam or Tucker next. I wasn't even going to try to call Jazz again. She had made it clear that I wasn't welcome to grace her with my voice until this ordeal was over or something else was sorted out.

In the end, I picked Sam.

My thumb punched in the buttons to her number as I glanced around to make sure no one was watching me. Let's just say that Vlad's paranoia can rub off quite easily when you're put under dire circumstances. I made my way around the granite covered island table and to the wooden door to the storage room for the chief's fresh products for cooking.

The room attacked me with smells the second I entered. To both my sides were shelves filled full with fresh bread, zealously colored vegetables, millions of different fruits from all around the world, and stacks of spices all labeled to perfection. I grabbed an entire loaf of bread off a rack and sat on the stool in the back to eat as the phone rang in my ear.

After what seemed like forever, the phone was answered by the butler like last time. "This is the Smith residence," his snobby voice floated over the phone. "May I ask who is calling?"

"Dude, it's Danny again," I said quickly. "Can I speak to Sam? Sorry if it's a bad time again."

"I'm sorry, Samantha is not residing here anymore," he told me all professional-like. "She has fractured her radius and is at the hospital. She left me a number for you to call. Would you like me to give it to you?"

Hospital? No. No! He didn't! He couldn't! How could he do this to me, to her? There was no reason! There _had_ to be a motive! Why? I was so distraught that I could have pulled all my hair out in that one sitting.

"Would you like me to give it to you, sir?" the butler asked again, this time his voice held more concern. At least it snapped me back to reality. I composed myself with a short sigh and told him yes.

The next number didn't give me Sam. Instead, I got my other best friend. It was a pleasant surprise, but it still didn't give me any reassurance about Sam's health.

"Danny?" Tucker's voice asked from the other end. "Didn't Jazz tell you not to call us?"

"Tuck?" I said, just as confused. "Where's Sam?"

"You called her?" Tucker practically screamed at me. "Dude, you weren't supposed to do that! We're in danger just by you calling this number. I don't know if I can talk long."

"No, Tucker, do NOT hang up on me!" I pleaded with my friend. "Please! Everything is crappy over here. Then I just found out Sam's in the hospital. I...I just want some answers or just to hear your voice. Please."

"Danny? Are you sure you're okay?" Tucker asked me quietly. He had heard the hysterics in my emotional voice. We were good enough friends for him to know something was wrong with me. When I didn't answer at first, he asked, "Is something wrong? You hurt? What happened, man?"

Tears welled up in my eyes as visions from last night came back to me. The sound of the gun and thud of a dead body. The blood as it splattered across my cheek. The hole in his head. I had kept them all at bay that day, but somehow they had popped out of nowhere.

"No. Crap. I'm freaking _not_ okay," I answered him while pushing the tears away furiously with the palm of my free hand. "Damn it. I'm way over my head, Tuck."

"I'm sorry, man," Tucker said with all sincerity. "That sucks." I knew that was the best he could do. He wasn't the deep consoling type of friend. I didn't want him to be one anyways. This was the best I was gonna get out of him, and it was all I really wanted.

"Thanks for not hanging up on me, Tuck," I said after a shaky sigh.

Tucker laughed at this. "I'm your friend, Danny," he said. "I'm not going anywhere until you say we're done."

"Thanks," I said again with a smile. Where would I be without this guy? "Then can you tell me what happened to Sam?"

"You know how you told us that Vlad had spies looking after Sam?" Tucker stated more than asked. "Well, he forgot to mention to you that I had spies watching me too. And Jazz. We've all seen them. Their his weird bird ghosts. He's got us practically wired, man! So when you snuck out and visited me, one of his ghost spies noted our meeting. Vlad must have punished you with pushing Sam out into a busy street. She got out of the way just in time, but one of the side mirrors of a car hit her arm and broke it."

"Vlad never told me," I said. "He didn't say a word."

"He didn't?" Tucker asked in astonishment. "It was a day after you came to the hotel and talked to us. He must have known the second you showed up to my door, dude."

"He knows about my plan then," I said emotionlessly. I was in too much shock to have any emotions at this point. "He's known this entire time. But this doesn't make any sense. I mean, he's acted suspicious of me since that day, but he's never said anything."

"Really?" Tucker said. He was in just in as much disbelief as I was. "You'd think he'd get upset that you tried to conspire behind his back and punish you for it. I mean, he did. Sam's arm is proof of that. But you'd think he'd tell you about it, you know?"

"What kind of game is he playing with me?" I thought out loud. "Why would he hurt Sam as a punishment without telling me about it? That's not him at all."

"Yeah, he's more the gloating type," Tucker agreed. "He'd rather shove it in your face that he found you out by telling you about Sam."

"You're right," I said with a nod. "It wasn't Vlad who pushed her out into the street. He knows about my plan, but he hasn't done anything about it yet. But it wasn't him who hurt Sam."

"How do you know?" Tucker asked, confused now. "Who did it then?"

"I don't know," I said after swallowing a big mouthful of bread. I had forgotten how starving I was. "But it wasn't Vlad. He knows hurting Sam is one of his trump cards to play against me. He'd only hurt her if I'd do something bold and stupid. The same goes with you. For some reason he's keeping his knowledge of me sneaking out a secret. Don't know why, but he has a reason."

"If you say so, man," Tucker said with a baffled sigh. "But I still don't get it."

"Don't worry about it," I told him with my mouth full of starchy goodness. "I'm getting better at this game of his, but I'm not out of the woods just yet. But to help me, I need that information about those names I mentioned. Also, did Jazz take my dad's wa-."

The door was suddenly opened and in stepped Vlad. He was absentmindedly looking over his shoulder, so he hadn't seen me yet, and calling out to Katsumi, "Just let me get some bread first, then we'll talk about my new discovery."

"Danny?" Tucker's tiny voice asked from the other end of the cellphone as I stared right at Vlad as he turned his head back around in search for his wanted bread. "What's going on? You still there?"

Vlad heard the noise and glared deeper into the dim room only to find me sitting on a stool with the evidence clear in my hand. I was a deer in headlights. My fear clogged all thoughts of excuses, lies, or escapes.

He seemed pretty surprised to see me hiding in the kitchen cabinet. Who wouldn't? In his mind I was being a good little slave and twiddling my thumbs back in our room. This wasn't in his plans. I didn't know if that was a good or bad thing for me.

Our eyes met in that single, awful moment. I knew exactly then that something terrible was going to happen.

A/N: Oh, cliffhanger! I know. I'm evil. Fun chapter, though. The plot keeps thickening. Well, I'll see all you guys in two weeks. Thanks for reading!


	15. Chapter 15 Consequences

A/N: I really left you guys off at a cliffhanger, didn't I? Sorry about that. I'll make it up to you readers with this awesome chapter. It has to be one of my favorites from this fic. Okay, so I left off with Danny getting caught red handed in the foot closet. Go!

Disclaimer: I'm sick of typing this. I don't own any of the Danny Phantom characters. Never have. Probably never will.

Chapter 15 Consequences

Vlad steadfastly walked deeper into the cabinet. His glaring, livid eyes bore right into me. I was too scared by now to move. A sick pit had formed in my stomach, and it twisted so hard in me that I felt like I was going to throw up. I had just been caught. Everything I had been working for these past few days...ruined.

Tucker's panicked voice from the cellphone was not even registering in my head. My sole focus was on Vlad as he loomed over my sitting, pale form. The heart in my chest thudded wildly with my growing anxiety. I was so dead.

Vlad's hand shot out and grabbed the cellphone from me. My teeth gritted together in the tension that made the room seem to buzz with it. I wanted to bolt out of there. Worthless escape plans flew through my head, all ending with Vlad grabbing me and me getting a bigger punishment, if that was possible. For some reason I already knew the outcome of this. I had seriously screwed up this time. No way around it. Someone was going to get hurt...and it might not only be me.

"Danny?" Tucker asked one last time. My eyes rested on the cellphone. I so badly wanted to say goodbye to him, but Vlad's cold stare annihilated that want right away. "Come on, man! Answer m-!"

With a loud snap, Vlad closed the device and cut off my contact with my friend. I winced at the finality of the action and the cold way the man had terminated the call. Slowly, my eyes retrogressed back up to meet Vlad's. There was a pause between us as we stared at the other. I waited for the inevitable.

_Wham!_

Suddenly my head was being shoved into the wall. Vlad's hand was covering my mouth, so my cry of pain was muffled when the back of my head hit the hard wall and sent an explosion of angry colors across my vision. I sucked in deep breaths through my nose, trying not to panic.

"If you say a single word, I will make you regret it, boy," Vlad spat the threat into my frightened face.

Before I knew it, he had yanked me to my feet and was dragging me by my hair out of the food closet. He peaked out around the door to make sure no one was there in the kitchen before coming out with me in tow. Briskly, we walked out of the room, Vlad silently furious, and me making an effort not to hiss in discomfort.

"Katsumi!" Vlad called out into the house. The yell echoed down the long, well furnished hallways as we walked hurriedly back to our room. His voice showed none of his enraged emotion toward me. He was keeping himself well poised.

"Yes?" Katsumi's voice could be faintly heard from somewhere in the house.

"I'm sorry, but I have something to take care of," Vlad told her loudly. "I'll be with you shortly." There was a pause before her voice told him it was alright. He quickened his pace. I stumbled after him.

We arrived at our room soon after. He slammed the door shut behind us and kept pulling me with a fist full of my hair toward the bathroom. He threw me into the room with a rough shove that almost sent me to my hands and knees. I turned around to see him locking the door. Again, my stomach twisted in apprehension.

"Vlad, let me explain," I started weakly.

Vlad ignored my plea. He stalked toward me, which made me back up with palms raised toward him in innocent defense. His left hand grabbed me by the hair again. This time I protested the action with a strong struggle that led to nothing when I found myself being forcefully pushed down to my knees beside the toilet. With a foot, Vlad deftly raised the seat before shoving my face into the ice cold water in there.

I'd been taken so off guard by this that I hardly had any time to take a breath. The freezing cold water didn't help much with the shock. It tingled my face and rushed into my nose and mouth in a rude flash of frigid liquid. In less than a second, I was out of air and needing more. Vlad denied me any.

My entire body panicked when Vlad didn't right away let me back up. I struggled desperately to wiggle free from Vlad's strong hold. He kept me steady, though. There was nothing I could do to save myself. It was one of the scariest sensations ever.

Vlad suddenly flung my head back out of the toilet. My wet hair slapped against my numb face. I took a giant gasp and sputtered out what seemed like gallons of water from my mouth and nose. My eyes stared at the wall in front of me. I refused to meet Vlad's deathly glare.

"Explain," Vlad demanded with a hiss.

"No," I said stubbornly. He already knew why I had done it. He knew about everything. There was no reason for me to explain now. No matter what I said, he was still going to punish me whatever way he wanted.

My head came back down into the toilet. For a good minute I was able to hold my breath. A minute wasn't enough. All too soon my lungs begged for air. They felt like balloons ready to burst at any moment as they burned for oxygen.

My hands fumbled on the toilet in my distress. They found the handle to flush a moment before Vlad grabbed that wrist and twisted it painfully behind my back. The cry of pain it produced was not heard as water rushed into my mouth. My fuzzy vision in the water began to darken. My lungs ached. My body was being broken down second by second. I was dying!

Truthfully, I was terrified out of my mind. In the back of my head, I knew Vlad would never kill me, but that didn't erase the fact that I was drowning under his cruel hand. It was any natural reaction. When your body is faced with death, it gets scared. The logic of knowing Vlad would always want me was no where to be found. I seriously thought I was going to drown.

My head came back up the second before I passed out. I choked as air returned to my stinging lungs. Vlad shoved me against the wall by the toilet, head first. The pain didn't register. I was too busy getting over my latest scare to care that my head hurt.

"I told you that another one of your escape plans would have consequences, Daniel," Vlad said from behind me. From where I was on my hands and knees, I looked up and saw the man pull out a remote from an inside coat pocket. My eyes widened.

"No!" I whispered, shaking my head in shock. "No, Vlad, you don't have to do this!"

"I don't _have_ to?" Vlad asked with a cruel smile. "Why not? You completely disobeyed everything we agreed upon. You swore you were mine and you would do things my way in return for your friends and family's safety. I told you this would happen if you disregarded my rules. I think this is the best form of punishment for you. I'm only being fair."

"Fair? This isn't fair! I was only talking to my friend!" I shouted back at him.

"When I told you not to!" Vlad shouted back. His harsh tone made me flinch. "That was part of our deal. You were going to do things my way. But you didn't for a second listen to a word I said, did you, Daniel?"

I didn't say anything. I only glared up at him, searching for excuses that wouldn't come. He had found me out, and here I was without a plan B. For someone who had thought he was playing the game so well, I sure as hell was clueless at this point.

"Yes, I know about when you snuck out of the hotel to go see your little friend in London," Vlad sneered down at me. "I knew the second you left the room. That meant you were planning on defying me the moment you told me you would do things my way. You've been lying and conniving against me ever since day one. I told you that you'd get punished, and you still went ahead and did it. Now the only thing to do is teach you a lesson in consequences."

He was going to press that button. There was no doubt about it. I knew Vlad well enough by now to be positive he'd do it just to get rid of my dad and break me at the same time. There was nothing I could say that would change his mind now.

In that split second, I realized I was going to lose my dad. My dad was going to die because of my mistakes. I could have so easily done everything Vlad had said and behaved as his perfect slave and son. I would have hated it, but for some stupid reason I had chosen to gamble with my dad's life and went against my adversary in a idiotic act of self delusion. How could I ever believe that I could have outsmarted Vlad Masters?

I was such an idiot.

I hung my head in defeat. Tears sprung to my eyes. I stared at the ground and watched them splatter silently against the tiled floor before squeezing my eyes tightly shut as wave after wave of emotion hit me. I didn't even try to hold them back. I was never going to see my dad again. And I would _never_ forgive myself for it.

"What would you do to stop me from pressing this button, Danny?" Vlad asked me suddenly. His tone was calm and soothing. He slowly bent down and lifted my chin up with a forefinger. My watery eyes stared into his, hope filling my mind as I searched for an answer. When I didn't answer at first, he asked again, "What would you do?"

"Anything," I said in more of a plead. It was true. At that moment I would have done anything to save my father's life. I would have willingly substituted my own in his place. If my dad died, the family would be crushed. None of us would ever be the same. I could never allow that. I'd do anything in my power to prevent it.

"Would you swear yourself to me?" Vlad asked. His voice was a dark whisper that sent a shiver down my spine.

It was a loaded question. It would mean I would forever be under Vlad. He'd be my master forever. For sure he'd break me eventually. I would be giving up my friends and family. In a way, though, it was the same as giving up my life. I would die for my dad. This was the same as dying for him. Was there a difference?

"Yes," I said in a single, shaky breath.

Our eyes met. He saw the honesty in my stare. In that moment, he had me in the palm of his hand. My entire future was his to control. All I could do was look at him and wait for the verdict. What would Vlad do? Chose me or my dad? He had to pick me! Wasn't I what he wanted? Then why was I so thoroughly terrified?

"That's nice to know," Vlad said with a sweet, malicious smile.

He pressed the button.

I couldn't move. I couldn't think. I couldn't do anything those first few seconds.

He hadn't picked me. Why?

"Okay, no," I whispered in denial. My stomach twisted uncontrollably. It was too much this time. I dove for the toilet and emptied my heaving stomach into it. As I did so, my mind ran in million different directions. I had totally given myself up to Vlad. He could have taken me. I knew he wanted to. Then why not? Was he _saving_ me for later?

That thought did it. My anger replaced the fear and pain of lose. Something in me snapped, and I looked up at Vlad with an icy glare. He stood over me with a smug smile on his lips. He was mocking me. Even after killing my father. My rage couldn't be contained.

"I'm not your damn puppet!" I roared at Vlad while coming at him with a raised fist.

Vlad flashed into ghost mode the second before he caught my punch. He pulled me forward. The move threw me off balance, and I came stumbling toward him. The man caught me by the shoulders, grabbed the front of my shirt with both hands, and lifted me into the air as if I was simply a rag doll he could toss around the room.

The man rammed me against the bathroom mirror in a sudden surge of energy. The impact knocked the air right out of my chest. I took in gulps of oxygen through winces of pain. Actually, it was surprising that the glass didn't break under the pressure at which my back collided into it.

"What have I told you about that temper of yours?" Vlad smirked.

"No! I don't care what you said anymore!" I yelled at him in my rage. I would have come at him again if he wasn't holding me against the mirror. I was so ready to rip his throat out. "Why didn't you pick me?" I screamed. "This is not one of your stupid games! Me and my family are not something you can just _play_ with! I'm not your toy!"

"And yet that didn't stop you from playing," Vlad shot back with a chuckle.

My mouth opened to spew out some more insults at the nefarious man, but my mind caught up a moment before the words came. It registered Vlad's words, and I paused in realization. He was right. I did play. I had played Vlad's game exactly how he wanted me to. Too late I figured it out. This had all been part of Vlad's plan.

"You played it rather well, Daniel," Vlad told me, all the while leaning in close to my frowning face. "In fact. You won." There was a long pause as all we did was stare closely at each other, trying to read the face in front of them. I didn't figure anything out and resorted to words.

"I-I don't understand," I said, confused.

"Jazz took off your father's watch," Vlad said with a smile. "I probably blew up some dirt along the highway. Your plan worked like a charm. If I hadn't known a thing about it, it would have gone off without a hitch. Your lies were always believable enough. The only unfortunate part was me catching you in the end. That surely was not part of either of our plans. It was just some bad luck. Everything you did to fool me was just right, though. You might not see it now, Daniel, but you play this game quite well for a beginner."

"My...my dad's okay?" I asked softly. I didn't trust my voice from all the emotion going on inside me at this point. Everything else Vlad had said didn't matter till I got my answer.

"Yes," Vlad answered with a proud nod. "All because of _you_."

The overwhelming relief that washed over me almost made me cry again, but I managed to pull through with long sigh as I rested my head back against the mirror. It took my mind a second to switch from someone who had lost everything to the boy I had been only minutes ago before Vlad had pressed that button. Even if I was guilty of playing Vlad's game, I still needed to finish it. I'm not a quitter. I wasn't going to give up in the middle of it. He couldn't count me out just yet.

"I see it now," I said. My glare rested on the man still pinning me against the mirror. The venom behind the stare held all my anger and frustration. "I understand why you didn't tell me you knew I was plotting behind your back."

A smile flittered across Vlad's lips when he heard this. He leaned in close to me and asked, "Tell me, then. Why did I do that?"

"No," I said. The surprised look that crossed the man's face when I said this gave me a flash of exhilaration before I broke out into a cocky and hopefully irritating grin. "I don't have to tell you a thing."

Vlad didn't even see the heel of my foot until it was crammed into his face a second after I said this. I knew I'd met success when I heard his grunt of pain, and he let me go. I crashed down on the bathroom counter a moment later. Toothbrushes and other toiletries there scattered into the sink or to the floor from the violent vibration of my body hitting the surface. Eyes flashing excitement from the fight, I shot both my legs out and hit the man in the chest. It felt so good to get a hit in.

The problem with this attack plan of mine was the hard, cold fact that Vlad was ten times stronger than I was. I figured this out the hard way.

Before I knew it, Vlad had grabbed one of my arms in a tight grip. He grinned in wicked gratification as he seized a fist full of my shirt with his other hand. Only when he began to lift me did I see where this was going and gave a short yelp of alarm. Like a rag doll, I was thrown high into the air, over Vlad's head, and slammed harshly into the floor.

That...hurt. That's kind of self explanatory. It took me a while to clear my spinning head and swirl it into focus. Then the pain registered, and the hiss of agony that escaped me didn't nearly describe it well enough.

"Had enough?" Vlad asked me with a satisfied, smug smile. He bent over my weakened form and chuckled at the way I was trying to recover.

"Where the heck did you learn that crazy move?" I groaned. "Were you one of those nerdy kung-fu movie watchers when you were a kid? Jet Lee is secretly your hero, isn't he?"

"Cute," Vlad muttered in slight aggravation. "You're like the toy that wouldn't shut up."

"Ug. Good. Maybe then you'll throw me away sooner or later," I said while carefully sitting up. My head suffered the most in that brutal throw down. It throbbed in discomfort with every move I dared to make.

"Not a chance," Vlad grinned. He lowered his arm out and down toward me. The pink glow of it caught my eye. I threw my arms up over my head in protection before the strike came.

The high powered ectoplasm blast hit me in the shoulder and forced me into the side of the tub/shower. Thankfully, he had made it a weak one and didn't make me pass out. Instead, it took away the rest of my energy and hurt like hell. I leaned against the tub, taking in greedy gasps for air. Pink tinted steam traveled up from my clothes in the aftereffects of Vlad's power.

My body instinctively tightened all its muscles when it saw Plasmius stalking closer to me. I pushed myself up against the side of the tub in a fruitless effort to keep a distance from the dangerous man. It didn't go unnoticed that his one hand was sparking white with electricity. It reached out toward my head, and I flinched in the well known fear of the torture.

This was gonna hurt.

"Vlad?" Katsumi's call put all actions on pause. Vlad and I both stared at each other in pure surprise for a split second. We both glanced at the bathroom door. It was locked. Our eyes returned to its adversary's.

A smile was my only warning before I opened my mouth to give Vlad away.

Vlad surged forward and had his hand pressed against my mouth before I could get anything out of it. He transformed into his human form. He stood while keeping his one hand around my mouth and wrapping the other around my neck. I was practically dragged to the door, realizing half way there that I could hardly breathe this way.

After a struggle with the doorknob, Vlad leaned his head out the entrance. The way he did it made me hidden to anyone if they were looking into the main room. It was a smart move on his part. Katsumi was peeking into the room in search for the man at the moment.

"What do you need?" Vlad asked the woman with a placid smile. As always, his true emotions were well hidden. Meanwhile, I was struggling profusely to get out of Vlad's strangling method of keeping me quiet. "I'll be out in just a minute," Vlad said, tightening his grip on me, much to my disappointment.

"That's alright," Katsumi said. She sounded a bit confused as she said, "I just can't find Danny. I left him with my cellphone to call Ran in the kitchen. Now he is gone. Do you know where he might be?"

Vlad shrugged his shoulders before answering, "I'm not sure. The boy had to leave his cellphone in the States. He's probably using up your minutes and calling all his friends. You better find him soon." He smiled at the lady in apology.

By this time I was finding it hard to obtain air. The man was smothering me! I still tried to struggle free, but it was turning out to be pointless. Besides, it was hard to focus on wiggling for liberty when your vision is darkening. I was passing out just as quickly as when Vlad almost drowned me in the toilet. This wasn't good.

"I'll go check the kitchen one more time," Katsumi said with a mild laugh at my teen-like actions. "Thank you for your help, Vlad."

"No problem," Vlad said. He waited till the room's door was fully shut and she was a few paces away to let me go. I instantly dropped to my knees with a deep gasp. Sweet air filled my lungs again. "What's the matter now?" he asked me in confusion as he locked the door again to the bathroom.

"Nothing," I coughed out sarcastically. "I'm peachy. Almost died, but I'm good. Really. Don't you worry about me."

I heard the man sigh with exasperation with me before I felt his hand grab the back of my shirt. He yanked me forcefully to my feet and threw me into the wall next to the door. My head hit the flat, hard surface first. The impact sent another crazy explosion of colors through the insides of my brain. I cringed while holding the sore thing in both my hands.

"Did you honestly believe you were getting out of this that easily?" Vlad asked in a hoarse whisper. I looked up just as he shot out a hand grabbed me by the front of my shirt again. Even when he wasn't in ghost form, he was strong enough to lift me right off my feet and bring me to his eye level.

"My dad's life isn't on the line here anymore," I said forcefully. "Why should I be concerned about you and our stupid, little deal anymore?"

"You forget who you're dealing with, boy," Vlad grinned. "You still have friends who I could threaten. Or did you forget about their innocent lives?"

"Bastard," I snared with a narrowed stare. I _hated_ this man!

"Say what you want, Daniel, but it will never take away the fact that you're still mine for the remainder of this week," Vlad said. "My spies are watching over Sam and Tucker. Even Jazz has a spy watching her every action. Whatever they or you do, I see. Meaning I know every exact move you make. It's check, Daniel. Your move."

My eyes widened with these last words. He still expected me to play. He wanted me to find another way around him. I understood now why he took me all the way here to Japan. This was all a test for me. He might be helping out his friend, Katsumi, but another reason was to put me on the spot, test my skills, and stretch me to my limits. He wanted to see what I'd do under pressure. The problem was that he liked what he saw.

I was going to lose no matter what happened. Either I lose this game of his, proving to him and myself that I'm not fit to carry this blessing and curse of a role as superhero. If I gave up now, I was only being a coward. Or I could win and show him that I was fully capable of anything he threw at me. I didn't want to lose or give up. But if I won, he'd only see me as an object he wanted more.

And Vlad Masters always obtained what he wants.

-That Night-

The lights of Tokyo's city were only a giant blur to me. The limo deftly made its way through the night traffic. My mind was entirely somewhere else. It had crammed out so many plans and schemes that afternoon, that by the time the sun had set, it was entirely worn out. To recover, it was delving into the memories of my friends and family.

I missed home.

"You're quiet tonight, Danny," Katsumi said suddenly. I turned my head to look at her. My mouth didn't feel like opening, so I only shrugged with a forced smile before turning to stare solemnly out my window. I didn't even mind when Vlad beside me began to lightly ruffle my hair in a fatherly gesture.

"Are you homesick?" she asked me sweetly. There was a hint of worry to her tone. It reminded me of mom. She'd always know when something was bothering me. Sometimes I got the feeling she knew I was half ghost, but it was only her motherly instinct which knew that I was going through something she couldn't help me with. Maybe one day I could tell her. Maybe.

"Yeah," I answered quietly. No one said anything after that. If they did, I didn't hear it anyways. I was too busy asking myself what I was going to do next. To get past Vlad, this time I'd have to think of a plan entirely different than the last one. How was I going to do that? Where would I begin?

The limo arrived at the restaurant I was going to meet Ran at after a few minutes of riding in silence. I stepped out of the vehicle and stared at the place in astonishment. No wonder Miss Tanaka had dressed me up in a suit and tie. The place was a high end, expensive restaurant sitting right off the pier.

"Oh, wow, not exactly what I was expecting," I said to myself with a nervous chuckle. I half turned to the limo and found it gone. The shiny black vehicle was already driving off and joining the rest of the traffic. Too late to chicken out.

A long, tired sigh escaped me as I ran a hand through my hair, fidgeted with my blue tie that felt like it was strangling me, and began to walk toward the building set right on the black, furious waves. Other nicely dressed and rich couples traveled over the wooden planks. The women in their elegant pearls and flashy diamonds. The men with their slicked back hair and polished to perfection black shoes. It was all very high class.

To someone like me who had lived all his life as a middle class kid, (except for that one time the Guys in White bought out our business for one week) it was impressive and terrifying. I wasn't used to throwing money away like it was nothing, and I definitely wasn't used to seeing other people who did so. It felt out of place for me, and soon I had the all too familiar pit in my stomach.

The inside of the building was more impressive than the outside. The place only had reservations, so there was no one waiting around for a table when I walked in. After telling someone my name, the waiter there bowed to me before taking me to the seat Vlad had reserved for Ran and I.

Instantly, my eyes were like the silver ball in a pinball machine. They bounced around to capture all the sights. Nothing went unnoticed. The floor was like a mirror, it was so spotless and shiny. The polished furniture all looked brand new and expensive. Even the golden silk tablecloths had that lavish touch to them. Each surface had a glowing, warm candle on it. They all contributed to the marvelous chandelier hanging from the domed, mural ceiling.

Somehow Vlad had gotten us seats in the back with the glass wall that overlooked the ocean. I sat down in a bit of a daze at the empty table and smiled timidly at the waiter before the gray haired and mustached man left me to the menu.

"Jeez, Vlad, you pulled all the strings to make this romantic, didn't you?" I muttered as my eyes scanned the white horizon of the ocean. The waters reflected the bright light of the moon that sat like a glowing orb in the dark sky. "Hopefully Ran isn't the dinner-by-candlelight type of girl."

Ran didn't show for a half an hour at the least. I should have expected that from her, but I was still pissed the entire time I flipped through the menu with a grumbling stomach. The waiter came by a few times to check on me. He was a cool old guy with a thick Japanese accent.

"She'll come," he told me after replacing my third empty glass of Coke with my fourth. "Don't you worry." He moved so adeptly that it was almost like a well trained skill he had mastered. Everything he did was calculated out precisely with him. Except for his smile. It was wrinkled, warm, and spontaneous.

"Thanks," I said with another sigh. He left then to take more orders from a _real_ couple. I slumped against the table, bored and sipping sluggishly out of the straw to my drink. My eyes scanned the place one more time before I said with a sad smile, "Sam would probably hate this place."

"Who's Sam?" Ran asked from behind me.

I jumped in surprise, almost swallowing my entire straw in the startling process. My head whipped around to look at the girl, and I caught my breath in surprise. Ran could...clean up nice.

"You like what you see, loser?" Ran asked while giving a small pose. She flashed me a dazzling smile that was pure satisfaction. Her repressed shiver didn't go unnoticed, and so did my surge of warmth. I still didn't understand the sensation, but I knew it had to come from this girl.

Ran flaunted her pretty and skinny self as she passed me to sit down. She wore a crimson red sleeveless dress. It came half way down her thighs, showing off those stunning legs of hers. Her long, ebony colored hair was done up in another complex bun on top her head, this one looking sophisticated and classy. To top it off, her bare neck was adorned with a golden necklace with a ruby stone set in the middle of the pendant.

Damn. She looked good.

"Y-you look great," I said with a smile. "Didn't know you knew how to dress up."

"Who did you think I was?" Ran asked with a sharp laugh.

"A drunken party girl who likes to eat her cigarettes," I answered without skipping a beat.

"Heh, I guess I did go overboard with that cigarette," she mused with a roll of her dark eyes. "But I'm amazed at how good you look too. That tie really highlights your eyes." I glanced down at my tie, cheeks turning red. "Aw," Ran gushed, "You're blushing. Have I ever told you how cute you are?"

"Yeah," I said hesitantly. "You told me the first day we met." My eyes met our waiter's as he passed us. He winked at me before slyly giving me a thumbs up. First Vlad tried to hook us up with this high end restaurant, now our waiter was trying to get the romance going.

Sweat began gathering on my skin underneath my suit jacket. I didn't like Ran. Sure, she was pretty, but that didn't matter when the mind behind the body was crazy. But my whole goal here as spy was to become her boyfriend. How far were we going to go tonight? I didn't like this. Not one bit.

"Why are you freaking out?" Ran asked me suddenly. Somehow I'd lost track of what was going on. Her question brought me back to reality. I perked up and shot her a quick, nervous smile. She looked confused. Not worried. Just perplexed with my skittish actions.

"Freaking out?" I asked with a forced laugh. "No. I'm fine. Whew! Is it hot in here for you? I'm sweating for some reason. Weird, huh?" I shut my mouth right after that royal rant blunder.

Ran's only response was a bemused tilt of her head before she said slowly, "Okay." She eyed me suspiciously as she picked up her menu and opened it. Her gaze traveled over the expensive dishes that would cost an arm and a leg. She asked me casually, "You're paying for this, right?"

That was an excellent question.

A/N: Wanted to leave it in a lighter note. Ran is an interesting one. I like making her change her persona every time Danny sees her. First she was a vicious gamer, then a messed up drunk girl, now she's a high class lady. I don't think she knows who she is anymore. Well, that's Ran for ya.

In other news, I'm moving on the 5th of December back to the States. I have the means to set up my own wireless Internet, but my crappy luck will probably screw that hopeful thought up. So, if you get another chapter in two weeks, yay for everyone! If you don't see me by then, all of you can assume that my luck crapped on me again with my Internet. Anyways, next chapter is planned to be a really good one. I'll hopefully see y'all in two weeks!


	16. Chapter 16 In Too Deep

A/N: My trip back to the States sucked, but I'm over it now. A weekend alone with my rich aunt and uncle who let me do, watch, and eat whatever I want with wireless Internet has changed my crazy, bad mood into one of complete bliss. And without that bliss, this chapter would not be done this weekend, so thank my dear aunt and uncle for this being out on time. With that said, enjoy the chapter. It's a long, good one!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Danny Phantom characters!

Chapter 16 In Too Deep

"You're paying for this, right?" Ran asked offhandedly.

The question caught me so off guard and shocked me so badly that I choked on my drink. Trying my hardest to look like it was a normal case of coughing my lungs out, I forced an apologetic smile to my lips when Ran raised a skeptical eyebrow at me. She shook her head and let out a disappointed sigh as she returned her stare to her menu. I wasn't proving to be the best of dates that night.

Finally, I got a hold of myself and lied, "Of course I'm paying for this. Why wouldn't I be?" She didn't respond, idly flipping through the smooth pages that listed foods and beverages. I let out a weary sigh. My eyes traveled out over the room once again in our awkward silence.

"So," Ran said after putting down her boring menu that didn't seem to satisfy any of her taste, "Why are we here?"

"I thought we were on a date," I said. What a strange question. Nice restaurant. Nice outfits. Candle light. Moon light. The mood generated one of romance. I thought it was pretty obvious.

"I know that," Ran said rather snappishly. "I mean why are we _here_? This place is way too fancy to party in. Do they even serve alcohol to seventeen year olds?"

"I didn't bring you here so you could get drunk, Ran," I told her flatly.

"Obviously," Ran said with a displeased sigh. "This is so boring. What do we do this entire time?"

"Maybe we could talk to each other," I suggested with a sarcastic grin. "You know, like what regular couples do on a date. I hear it can be fun if we do it right."

Ran glanced up at me, her despondent stare transforming into an annoyed glare as I said those words. "You think you're so clever," she said with spite. My instant frown must have given her more energy, because she was soon adding, "You think because you're such a good doer and morally right that you're better than me. Don't you?"

"That's not true," I said with reluctance. With sick realization, I didn't know if I had lied or not. Did I think I was better than her? Maybe I came off that way, maybe it was actually true. Whatever it was, this conversation wasn't turning out to be one I had desired.

"Then why do you always look at me differently?" she asked. "Why don't you like me? Is it another girl? Am I just not pretty enough? Am I not your 'type'? Tell me!"

"I don't look at you differently," I retorted, not caring to keep the indignation out of my voice. Her constant direct approaches were driving me up a wall. Why couldn't she start and stop a conversation like a normal human being?

"Yes you do," Ran argued with the likes of a toddler. There was no way I was going to say, "Nuh huh". Vlad had already reduced me to a five-year-old many times this past week. Ran wasn't going to make me repeat the process.

"Okay," I said in something of a mix between a sigh and a growl, both provoked by exasperation with the crazy girl's obsessive character. "I'll tell you why I look at you differently."

"Why?" Ran demanded with impatience that only made me more angry with her.

"You're crazy!" I said. The words had been shoved out of my mouth not by force, but with an uncaring action that had completely abandoned Vlad's and Katsumi's plan for the two of becoming a couple. When Ran didn't say anything, I continued in a string of the best synonyms for crazy that had built up inside me since the day I had met her.

"Loco, mad, insane, lunatic, cuckoo, loony, bananas, deranged, permanently out to lunch, a few french fries short of a Happy Meal, a _fruit loop_!"

"Whoa," Ran said when I was finished. She looked surprised, but not hurt. Maybe she knew she had a screw loose. She was smart enough to know this about herself. I could have been the first person to actually tell her this well known fact to her face.

"That explains a lot," she said with a sudden smile. When I thought she was going to say more, she giggled and went back to flipping through her menu.

"That's it?" I asked. "You make a royal fuss over me treating you differently, I tell you to your face that I think your mind is literally a fruitcake, and all you have to say is that it all makes sense now?"

"Yes," Ran said with a polite nod. She didn't even look up at me. Somehow the menu had turned out to be more interesting than she had let on before.

"Sheesh," I said with shoulders deflating in defeat. My mind had given up on figuring out the puzzle that which is Ran Izumi. It was pooped out. Slouching in my seat, I said truthfully, "I'm confused."

"I'm not surprised," Ran said. The menu proved to be useless once again when she slapped it against the silk tablecloth, her dark eyes focusing solely on me. Our small pause and eye contact brought upon another one of her shivers and my heat flashes. The warm sensation bubbled to all extremities. Her shiver was accompanied with a wisp of cool air escaping her mouth.

Had that been a ghost sense?

The answer wasn't given when Ran smiled seductively in my direction and said slyly, "Let's ditch this place."

"Now?" I asked with a baffled tilt of my head. We hadn't even ordered our food yet. And I was starving. A guy needs his food. I was hoping for a good seafood dinner because Sam wasn't here with her constant opposition to the killing and eating of the ocean critters. My family never get to eat this nicely. The filling of my stomach with something expensive and tasty had been on my to-do list that night. Guess Ran was scratching it off.

"Yes. Now," Ran said with an irritated but amused smile splitting across her pretty features. She leaned stealthily over our table, nimbly avoiding the candle as she inched closer to me. As she did this, she was saying in a low whisper, "This place is full of snobs. The seafood is fine, but I've had better. I'd much rather take a walk with you outside. You up for it, loser?"

How could I deny that? Hungry or not, this option was better than sitting here with her hating it the entire time. My mom once told me that men are always the happiest when their woman is too. Also, my job as spy was to get her to talk. A walk would be just the thing.

"Sure," I said, standing. Trying to be gentleman-like, I offered an arm for her to take. The pleased emotion was evident in the girl's face as she looped her arm around mine and stood with all the grace of a young lady. She could be absolutely beautiful when she behaved this way.

I found myself torn between admiring the girl and hating her crazy guts. It was a weird combination of two emotions. But they weren't unfamiliar. I'd felt them for another person before. More complex and vehement emotions that were essentially the same were felt toward Vlad Masters.

Of course, when it all came down to the wire, I really loathed the man and his evil methods of getting what he wanted. He was the perfect picture of a villain. What I'm trying to get at is that the man is not someone anyone should forget easily. He's brilliant. I hate to admit it, but it's the truth. If I didn't learn something from him I should consider myself stupid. The guy has some intelligent qualities about him that I've seen and admired, but only at a distance. Too bad most of those bright talents are spent on his own selfish wants.

Great. Now I sound like him when he talks about me. First I admit my admiration. Now I'm sounding like the fruit loop. I really need to go home.

Connected like a couple, Ran and I waltzed toward the exit. Our waiter looked a bit disappoint that we were leaving so soon. His wrinkled face looked at me with concern. To reassure the old man, I flashed him a smile and managed a quick thumbs up. He must have understood this gesture and repeated it back to me. My smile widened. He reminded me of a goofy grandpa.

"You know that old fart?" Ran asked me once we were outside.

"Kind of," I answered, scratching the back of my neck with my free hand.

"Loser," Ran said teasingly. She leaned her head against my shoulder as she slipped her hand into mine. It hadn't been forceful like how she had tried to kiss me on the boat at the party. Here is was more natural and sweet.

Even with the nice intentions, I wasn't okay with where it was going. Cheeks flushing pink, I let her stay close to me. Ran didn't notice how uncomfortable I was with her. She was busy looking out over the black sea. White crescents of waves rhythmically crashed into oblivion. A light breeze that carried the pungent smell of salt invigorated all my senses. With Ran walking close by my side, I decided that I really liked the ocean. There was something captivating about it that I enjoyed.

"The sea is so boring," Ran stated out of nowhere, crashing my inner thoughts of fondness.

"Why do you say that?" I asked with a somewhat fed up sigh.

"It just does the same thing every time I see it," Ran answered. "The waves keep coming. They never stop. It either looks green in the day time or black at night. No cool colors like pinks or purples. It is always the same and will always stay the same. That's so boring."

"Huh," I said.

"Huh, what?" Ran asked, getting defensive all of the sudden.

"You made sense," I said with a grin. For her kind of colorful and spontaneous personality, Ran's dire view of the ocean was pretty logical in my estimation. "I didn't think you knew how."

"You're really sarcastic," she pointed out. I couldn't tell by the tone of her voice if she liked or disliked that about me.

"You think so?" I said, embracing the sarcasm.

"I knew you were going to say that," she said cynically. "You're so predictable."

This observation disturbed me. If Ran, who I'd only known for a few days, could figure me out so easily, then Vlad could probably predict my every move until my 20th birthday. That didn't sit well with me. Again, my head returned to frivolous escape plans. How was I going to pull anything off if Vlad knew me so well?

"What are you thinking about?" Ran asked me. We were off the bridge by now and had walked a long time in silence down the boardwalk that still over looked the sea. Apparently my pondering over escape plans had taken up a good amount of that wordless time frame. I had to snap out of focus and return to the present.

"Escape," I answered before I had shaken myself fully off of the eluding ideas.

"Escape from _what_?" Ran asked me, indignation flaring in her rising voice. "_ME_?"

Wow. Mood swings much? One second she was all lovey-dovey. The next she was a bear with a paw full of claws, ready to whack my innocent head off. The gruesome picture flashed through my mind's eye, and I winced in helpless fear. Time to do damage control.

"Not escape from you," I said. A nervous chuckle rolled out of my throat when she kept staring up at me with narrowed, malicious eyes. They bore into my very being, demanding for a good answer to her righteous anger.

"Then escape from what, Danny?" she asked in something close to a bark. Or maybe a growl. Something in between the two. Either way, it didn't come out sounding happy.

"Escape from my dad," I said quickly. "He's been driving me crazy all week!" True. "For example, he put together that date back there." True. "He's like trying to play matchmaker or something." Kinda true. "He does this all the time to me!" Liar. It was time to stop, but one last thing had to bubble out. It was like word vomit. "It's like he wants me to get hitched, married, and be successful before I even walk out of high school."

Why was a lying so hard? This was nuts! I didn't want to lie. I hated to do it, actually. And here I was, my words uncontrollable. Someone needed to smack some sense back into me because I was close to being an unstoppable train heading for some serious wreckage.

Ran believed me just the same. She calmed down and even pulled out a small smile before saying, "Sounds like my dad too. He's a pushover for everything except my love life. He says I need someone the complete opposite of me. He said I have too much water in me. I need someone with a lot of wood."

"What the heck does that mean?" I asked with a wry laugh.

"Hell. How should I know?" Ran said, laughing with me. "Do you have a lot of wood in you, loser? If you do, then we're the perfect couple in my father's eyes."

"I've never gotten myself tested for wood," I said thoughtfully. "Maybe I'll go see a doctor when I get back to the States."

"Do you miss the United States?" Ran asked. She squeezed my hand before intertwining her slender fingers with mine and pulling me closer. She was cold that summer night. Her small body felt like cuddling up to a block of ice.

"Yeah," I said truthfully. "But Japan is cool. I like the people."

"What else do you like?"

Ran stopped by a painted black railing. Below us, the ebony waves roared. The rushing sound blocked out all other noises except for some squawking seagulls that were perched about a block away on the railing. With her skin lit by the glow of the moon and dress distinguishing every curve of her exotic body, I couldn't help but feel enthralled by this stunning girl before me.

"Well," I tried to continue. Somehow a lump had formed in my throat. Swallowing fruitlessly, I went on, "I like the city. Tokyo is awesome at night. All the lights, you know? We don't get that much excitement in Amity Park."

"Go on," Ran urged softly. She leaned her back against the metal railing. Taking my hands in hers, she guided them behind her to rest of the bar where the small of her back was pressed up against. More unsuccessful swallowing. That lump wasn't going anywhere.

"Y-you're pretty cool," I stumbled on the words. We were dangerously close now. Our bodies were pressed lightly against each other. If we were at a school dance, those chaperones would be one us like flies of a wad of fresh poop. I watched with unnoticed anxiety when she brought her arms up and looped her hands around my head, her arms resting on my shoulders.

"_Pretty cool_?" she asked in a light chuckle. "You're not good with complementing, loser."

"You knew what I meant," I smiled. I could hardly hear her over the pounding of my frantic heart. It thumped wildly against my aching chest, striving to break free of my insides. Blood rushed like the waves of the ocean through my ears. I didn't know if I'd pull through and say no this time.

"You want to know something?" Ran asked seductively. She slunk like a cat closer to me and said, "I think you're pretty cool too." With that said, our lips connected.

Warmth blasted through my body as the kiss accelerated and deepened. She had her hands in my hair. The sensation only pushed me farther into utter obscurity. Her body was so close to mine that I could feel her heart beat. It was pounding just as fast as mine. My hands traveled to her hips. She shivered under my sudden touch.

In the middle of all this confusion I somehow got a hold of myself. I'm not sure what finally did it. I'd like to believe it was the picture of Sam in my head. How would she feel if she saw me now, making out with a pretty lunatic just because she struck my fancy for this brief second in life? What would my parents think if they found out? They had taught me better. I'd be a total disappointment.

I couldn't do that to any of them. I couldn't do this to myself...or to Ran.

My hands had to be forced away from those hips and placed on her shoulders. Feeling a twinge of the pains of regret, I pushed her away and took in a deep breath to clear my clogged head. To prevent another run in with her lips again, I dropped my head to look at the ground and said firmly, "No."

"No?" Ran said, confused and offended. I didn't blame her. She liked me. All I was doing was tempting her with that kiss, only to flat out deny her. I was being a jerk, but I think I had a right to be. Better to do it now then later.

"I can't do this, Ran," I told her. "I'm sorry." She let me go, and I took a guilty step away from her with my head still hung in contrite. I couldn't believe I had just done that. Not only was I saying no to making out with a hot girl, but I was also putting the lives of my friends in danger by refusing to go through with Vlad's and Katsumi's spy plan. I could guarantee a punishment for this choice of action.

"Before you go, Danny," Ran said with some biting venom dripping in her sharp voice. My head shot up when I heard the tone. Our eyes met. She was regarding me with distant distaste. "Just know that I actually liked you. No hard feelings, loser."

Huh? What was she talking about? Was this a new level of crazy?

The answer came in the form of a pair of strong arms grabbing me from behind. Just as a cry of surprise and alarm escaped me, a rag was pressed against my mouth and nose. It had a certain smell to it that put a negative spin to all my senses before plunging them into disarray. My world spun. Ran became a fuzzy vision of a silent and watching apparition.

Her kiss to my forehead was the last thing I remembered before blacking out.

-Hour Later-

_Click._

Grimacing, I awoke with the sound. The vision of my lap swirled into clarity. After a swell of nausea, my head shot up in sudden fear. The scream I threw out got caught in my mouth that had been bound with a cloth gag. All sound from here on out was muffled from the confining fabric that wound tightly around my head.

Some quick glances fully confirmed that I was sitting in a chair with hands secured behind the back of it by some scratchy, firm rope that dug into my skin. My legs were fettered to the chair by the same means. The rope binds were proving to be unbreakable after some useless struggling to wiggle free.

I was in the middle of a warehouse. Shipping containers were stacked around the building like colorful building blocks of a toddler. Just a few glances into the distance told me that the warehouse was big. I couldn't see the far wall. The stillness was a sure fact that I was alone. Except for one other person, I was by myself.

Again, a pit wrenched into existence in my stomach. I wouldn't be surprised if I had ulcers after this one.

"So, you're awake," a voice said from in front of me. The Japanese man had been sitting on the metal pop up table which had been placed a few feet away from my chair. He was tall for a Japanese with sharp features and an mass of unkept black hair. His long legs were stretched out toward me as he lounged on the table as if it was a comfy sofa.

"The name's Toushiro," the man said distractedly. He sat up like a lazy dog and rolled his strong shoulders that were kept hidden under a black suit jacket. With the distinctive _click_ that had woken me up, Toushiro brought out his red, shimmering lighter and flipped the lid in an expert fashion.

The cigarette was already in his mouth. Eyes closed, the man lit up and returned his lighter to his pants pocket. He lifted a leg and rested his heel on the edge of the table he sat on. The expression of a wry smile lightly creased his lips when he rested his chin on the knee and looked at me with a pair of dark green eyes.

"Well, well, well," Toushiro chuckled. "The cat has finally caught the mouse. Ran wrangled you in good, didn't she, kid?" I found myself struggling to breath. Panic rose in my heaving chest. This wasn't good!

"Or was it the other way around?" Toushiro asked. "My niece looked a little upset when we dragged you away. You must have been a fine catch." He blew out a wisp of smoke and nodded. "Fine catch indeed."

"Introductions aside, let's move on to the good stuff," Toushiro said. Something of an evil smirk flashed to his features as he dug a hand into his jacket pocket. With a flick of his wrist, the knife he had in there whizzed through the air. It thudded into the wood of the chair between my legs, less than an inch away from hitting flesh.

My indistinct scream was blocked by the gag. Eyes wide in my swelling fear, I stared at the sharp object that had almost sliced into me. I sucked in desperate breaths through the gag's thickness. I was in some deep shit!

Toushiro was suddenly in my face with a wicked grin spreading across his lips. I gasped in surprise of his closeness and tried to cower away when he yanked his weapon out of the wood and replaced the object with his right foot. He leaned in so our faces were only an inch apart.

"Here are the rules, kid," Toushiro said. "I ask the questions. You answer. I'll except only the truth. I won't take any false crap from you. Any fictitious answers will result in this."

With the hand that wasn't holding the knife, the man made into a tight fist before plowing it into my defenseless stomach. Hard. A wince rippled across my face as the pain registered and I doubled over. As if to cope for the brutal hit, my breathing was cut off. For a few seconds I couldn't take in any air and so panicked a little.

A fleeting thought came to me in that second. I could die here. I was captured by the kingpin of the drug trade who could be the one behind the golem. If he was, that meant he'd had every intention to kill off whomever threatened his business. Katsumi and Vlad had been doing just that with the help of me spying on his _daughter_! I was officially in WAY over my head!

"Breathe. You'll be fine," Toushiro said with a sardonic chuckle at my expense. He pushed me back up by a hand on my shoulder just as I took in a deep, urgent breath. "There you go," he said. "What'd I tell ya?"

Before speaking again, Toushiro took his cigarette out of his mouth and blew the puff of smoke into my face. The putrid mist stung my eyes and burned my throat. Through the gag, my coughing could be heard.

The feel of cold metal on my skin snapped me out whatever choking had first occupied me. Toushiro had the blade pressed against my cheek. He watched me as I tried to control my hectic breathing but to no avail. I was scared out of my mind. No amount of breathing correctiveness was going to change that.

"You're ready to talk," Toushiro said. He snapped his hand with the knife back. I flinched. Only to have the gag cut away. It fell into my lap unceremoniously. Even with it off, I still gulped greedily for breaths.

Lifting my head up, I saw Toushiro striding back to the table. He neatly took his jacket off and flung it across the dusty surface of the desk before scooping up a folder. The green eyes of my captor skimmed the Japanese symbols at lightning pace before he snapped the pages shut and looked back down at me. Interest played in his eyes.

"So, Danny, is it?" Toushiro asked. "You prefer Dan or Daniel? Or just Danny?"

"Danny," I said reluctantly.

"Good name," Toushiro said, head bobbing in agreement. "I've always liked it. What's your last name?" I didn't answer. This was dangerous grounds. On one hand, I'd love to answer the questions and tattle on all of Vlad's and Katsumi's secret plans. On the other, Vlad would have ways of making me regret it. I'd have to stand firm on his side if I wanted to keep friends and family safe.

In other words: this wasn't going to be a fun night.

"I can interpret silence as I lie," Toushiro pointed out.

"Masters," I lied quickly. "Danny Masters."

"Hmm," Toushiro said with a shake of his head. He consulted his folder once more before saying, "I don't think so, kid. Here is says your name is Danny Fenton. Son of Jack and Maddie. Your sister's name is Jasmine, but she goes by Jazz. Am I correct?"

"H-how do you know so much about me?" I whispered in horror.

"My boss, Ran's dad, likes to research his torture victims before capturing them," Toushiro said with brute honesty. He smiled at me as he rolled up his crisp white sleeves and said, "You were pretty easy. You gave half yourself away to Ran even on the first day. You live in Amity Park. Your name is Danny. You ghost hunt. Didn't take long to pin point you and your loony family. Must be pretty weird to live in a home with parents as ghost hunters. And I mean that in the best possible way."

Crap! This was _not_ good! They knew too much about me. I wouldn't be able to come up with a decent lie even if I wanted to. What was I going to do? Either I could spill the beans about Vlad or stay silent and get beaten to a pulp by my torturer. Neither option had a delightful outcome.

"Stay still," Toushiro said. "This will hurt."

My eyes shot up toward him the split second he raised his fist. It let me prepare for the blow with a cringe. His knuckles collided with my jaw. A grunt of pain was released a second after the swing. Crap, that hurt. I had to choke back tears while leaning forward in my seat. His punches were worse than Vlad's. If that was possible.

"You think that one hurt? Then I should tell you now to keep telling the truth. I only punch harder," Toushiro said, well earned pride slipping into his voice. He was fixing his crimson red tie as if he wanted to still look business-like in the middle of a torture session for his drug boss.

"Now," Toushiro said, voice light and jovial as he leaned against the table to regard me once again with those green eyes. "We know you're working for Vlad Masters. We figured you were one of his spies the second you played Ran in that arcade she enjoys going to so often. What gets me so confused is the reason why you're working for the millionaire. Did he offer you part of his estate?"

"No," I spat out with a bitter chuckle. I freaking wish.

"Then why were you posing as his kid?" Toushiro asked. He picked up the file on me and flipped through it, saying, "He's not a relative to your family. He once went to college with your ghost freak parents, but it was only for a few months. He's also the mayor of your town, but all of this gives you or any teenager for that matter any reason to work for him on a job as dangerous as the one you had. Why are you with Masters?"

I only stared blankly back at the man. I was never going to answer that question.

He got the picture. An explosive sigh ruptured from his mouth as he got up and strolled toward me. "There is no logical reason why you'd work for him if he hadn't offered some form of money or reward. You had to know what kind of job you were getting into," Toushiro muttered as if thinking out loud to himself. He cocked a fist, saying with a quiet laugh, "Unless you were kidnapped or something."

My eyes connected with his when he said this. I hadn't mean to do it. It was a quick, rapid contact that ended with me staring fiercely at the dirty cement floor with a weak hope that the man hadn't caught my gaze. When the blow didn't come, I knew I'd made a mistake.

"Danny," Toushiro said. For the first time, he sounded serious and sincere. Still, I refused to look at him. "Were you kidnapped by Vlad Masters, Danny?"

"No," I lied in a whisper because my throat was clogged with emotion.

"What did he blackmail you with?" Toushiro asked. He didn't believe for a second that I was being truthful. It was probably his job to be a human lie detector. "The life of a family member? A friend? Girlfriend? Just tell me. You can trust me."

"Don't _do_ this!" I hissed at the man. "And I sure as hell don't trust you!" Tears welled up in my eyes. They threatened to break through their barriers despite my want to keep them locked in. Through the blur, I saw Toushiro's face looking soberly back at mine.

"You can tell me, Danny," Toushiro said quietly. He was crouching beside my chair so he could try and look up at me. "Listen. You don't have to trust me or anyone I work for, but we can help you nonetheless. You could become a double agent of some kind. Masters has no way of knowing. We could save whoever is in trouble in your life in the return for your services. All you have to do is let me help you."

I so _badly_ wanted to accept his help. The want, no, the _need_ was almost too strong for me to handle. All I had to do was spill my guts out to this man. It would be that easy. But, sadly, the consequences of choosing that option would not be effortless to deal with at all. When Vlad found out what I had done to him, he'd come after me, after my family, and my friends. In one swift move, he'd destroy my entire life and probably terminate the lives of innocent others.

"You have no _clue_ what Vlad Masters is capable of," I told the man gravely.

Toushiro stared back into my narrowed eyes with a dire look of musing. The wheels were turning fiercely in that head of his. I wondered what he was thinking. It looked like he was strategizing something. But I couldn't tell. Vlad and Ran had different looks when they planned. This man didn't share the exact same expression as they did. It only confused me.

"You're right," Toushiro said, smiling again. He stood gracefully to his full, tall height and placed a single hand on my shoulder. "I probably don't know the workings of Mr. Masters. But you certainly do. And you're going to confess every last detail."

"I'm not talking," I told him stubbornly.

"Give it some time, kiddo" he said. Only using three fingers, the man dug them into my shoulder. They were all just the right tender spots. It was as if my muscles were all bunching up in those exact locations. I had never felt in my entire life the intense type of pain that those fingers produced.

In my suffering, I squeezed my eyes tightly shut and grimaced through the pain. When he miraculously let up, I was gasping for each breath like a dog on a hot summer's day. My entire arm felt numb, but at least it was better than the agony from before.

"Why is Vlad Masters in Tokyo?" Toushiro demanded.

"How should I know?" I asked, blue eyes locked in a glower.

Toushiro blew another cloud of smoke in my face, smilingly viciously through the screen of gray. "Guess," he said with a short squeeze of the pressure points in my shoulder.

"He's here for the sushi," I spat into Toushiro's face after a gasp of pain.

"Be more creative, kid," Toushiro laughed. He squeezed the pressure points once again. With his fingers still grinding into my burning shoulder, he asked, "Is Masters working for another drug lord, perhaps? Which one is paying him? Muri? Kurosaki?" He faltered before adding with a little more seriousness, "Tanaka?"

The pressure was released only to let me talk. It took me a second or two to catch my breath, return my scowl, and retort with a grim smile, "Guess."

Toushiro actually grinned in response. "Oh, we have a clever one today," he said. With a new, harder pressure, Toushiro reapplied his hold on my shoulder. A useless, pained cry slipped out of me. "We can do this all night, kid," Toushiro told me. "Your choice."

My shoulder throbbed in agony. The aching and straining muscles in it shook uncontrollably in their suffering. Still, Toushiro didn't let up. I couldn't even come to terms of verbal protest because I was trying so hard to survive the pain. In all actuality, he probably held my shoulder in that death grip for little over a minute. It felt like an eternity.

Finally, Toushiro let me go. He watched me slump over in my chair, fighting for each ragged breath as sweat trickled down my back and wetted my forehead with the odious liquid. I didn't think I'd be able to endure much longer. I'm persistent, but not so much that I'd persevere through that much pain for a man I despised.

He was breaking me. Toushiro was expertly nipping at all the right angles to tear me down till I broke for him. Once that happened, he'd have his information and it would all go down hill for me. I so badly didn't want that to happen. I wanted to hold out and be strong for my friends and family. I needed to do this for them, but I wasn't seeing any hope in my future.

I was going crack, and I would have no way of picking up the pieces afterwards.

Grabbing my chin in one hand, Toushiro brought my head up so that we were eye to eye. "Tell me," he said with a calm but strictly firm tone. "How does Masters control his golem?"

Well. I wasn't expecting _that_. The shock made me pause. Toushiro interpreted the silence from me as a refusal to answer. The fingers returned to my shoulder. The pain stole away my breath. It took some seconds for me to muster up some words.

"Wait!" I pleaded through a gasp. Toushiro wasn't moved and refused to let up. I'd have to try better than that. I'd have to say something to get his attention. So, with the all the determination I could find, I gasped, "We thought you - ah - you controlled the golem!"

Toushiro pulled his hand away from my shoulder as if it was searing hot. He muttered something in Japanese under his breath before coming back at me. His hand took a full grip on my hair. My head went through a spasm of pain as the man yanked me by the hair into a straight sitting position.

"You better not be lying, Danny," Toushiro seethed into my face. "What you just said wasn't funny."

"I'm telling the truth," I said earnestly. "Vlad and I were hired to find the person controlling the golem. We both thought it was Ran's dad. Why else would I be spying on her and trying to be her boyfriend? She's crazy!"

"You got a point there," Toushiro, his trademark wry smile fitting perfectly into this features. "My niece does tend to walk on the wild side of life. Her father keeps telling her that she has too much water in her. But that doesn't explain why you would believe Mr. Izumi is behind the golem."

"You guys sent those ghost hunters after us," I accused the man with a sneer. "We're not stupid. You wanted to get rid of us when we went to Prague."

"Ghost hunters? Why the hell would we send ghost hunters after you two?" Toushiro asked in blown away astonishment. "You aren't making any sense, kid! What are you talking about?"

I opened my mouth to try and explain, but a cool mist of blue air beat me to the words.

"Great," I muttered.

A/N: It just keeps getting worse for poor ol' Danny. But at least the plot is coming to a boil. Seems like Mr. Izumi isn't pulling the strings here. Someone else is. Well, I'll be back in two weeks. I hate waiting two weeks to update, but I'm too busy to do it otherwise. Ah well. See you guys then!


	17. Chapter 17 Reality Ghost TV

A/N: Sorry for this being late this weekend. The holidays tend to be busy. And the chapter is a bit on the long side. Ah well. But I do want to tell you guys I received my first fan art for the fic just last week. It was awesome! Go to my bio if you wanna see it. The fabulous artist is Zalein, who I'd love to thank. She has some awesome DP one shots that I've read that others should check out as well. That said, enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: Own it? Hellz no! But I kudos to the guys who created it.

Chapter 17 Reality Ghost TV

"What is it?" Toushiro asked when he saw me go stiff with fear. He didn't have the feeling of icy spiders crawling up the spine or the cool sensation settle inside his core like I did, but he clearly understood that something was wrong the moment my ghost sense went off. He was standing right in front of me. He obviously saw the warning mist escape from my mouth.

Eyes wide, I scanned the corners of my vision with the knowledge of danger. Despite my efforts to level my heaving breathing, my chest still heaved for oxygen with my heart rate sky rocketing like the take off a NASA ship with moon in mind. The dimly lit warehouse fell under heavy silence when Toushiro quickly moved his head left and right to scan his surroundings. The silence weighed down on the both of us as eerie seconds flew on by.

With the flicker of color, Vlad Plasmius materialized to my left. He wore a persistent scowl, sinister red eyes narrowed in his annoyance and anger. Toushiro's thin line of a frown only deepened when he noticed the man hovering a foot above the ground.

"Kuso," Toushiro swore under his breath in Japanese.

It didn't get any better when Vlad stuck a palm out at my torturer and demanded in a cool tone, "Let the boy go." He was pissed. The voice inflection made my face twist into a small grimace. This was turning into a real blunder.

"You for the kid?" Toushiro asked, eyebrows raised with the question. He didn't sound scared in the least bit. His tone was casual with a pinch of slyness mixed deftly in.

"Hand him over," Vlad said. When he said this, the outstretched hand glowed pink with power. Crap. I hoped he wasn't thinking of killing Toushiro. My brain wouldn't be able to deal with another murder. I think it would break. Of course I didn't like the guy all that much at the moment, but I was pretty sure Toushiro had a family at home. He was at least close to Ran and the Izumi's. I wouldn't be able to deal with the knowledge that he'd be severely missed if Vlad decided to kill him now.

As it turned out, I didn't have to worry too much about my Japanese captor.

"Then this makes it easier on my part," Toushiro said with a smooth, oily smile. In the blink of an eye, the man had lifted his pant leg, unclipped a fully loaded automatic pistol from its place there on his leg, and had its cold barrel resting on my sweaty forehead. He cocked the thing with a certain determined smirk and looked back at Vlad for a reaction.

For a split second all I could do was stare at the piece of metal that was pressed up against my skin, ready to blast my brains out. Shock and fear cut into my very being for that brief moment. Then, when panic was ruled out of my oh so pithy list of crummy options, I darted my eyes toward Vlad. They glared at him with a hate that had built up in me for days.

They told him that this was entirely his fault. He was the one who dragged me to Japan as his little pet experiment. He threw me into countless amounts of danger and trouble. It was because of him that I was tied to a chair and had some drug dealer pointing a gun at my head after mercilessly torturing me. My glower also told him that if he didn't fix his big mistake right then and there that I was going to haunt him my entire afterlife.

You know what? It worked.

Plasmius caught my eye, returned the deathly stare with his own as a sort of warning for my temper, and looked back at Toushiro with his game face on. His hand brightened in color. As it flashed with power and he threw a strong ball of ectoplasm energy, Toushiro redirected his aim. He grinned while firing two shots at the ghost.

Things turned pretty hectic after the exchange. Vlad swiftly turned intangible with a growl of annoyance. He wasn't pleased at getting shot at by a mere human. The two bullets rippled through his faded form. As he was preoccupied with avoiding bullets, Toushiro dodged the ectoplasm by jumping up onto my chair and forcing it to fall backwards.

We collided soundly against the cement floor. The sound echoed throughout the large room and reverberated in my head that was practically smashed against the hard ground. My hiss of pain went unnoticed to Toushiro's ears as he shoved his gun into the place between the small of his back and his belt. He used his other hand with the knife in it to cut the rope wrapped around my ankles and legs.

"Up you go," Toushiro muttered down at me. He grabbed my arm with a firm grip and began to pull me to my feet. Head swirling in all kinds of directions, I somehow stumbled to my feet, got yanked out of the chair now that my legs weren't fettered to it's uncomfortable surface, and was running along with my second kidnapper like a dazed and terrified cat after being rescued from a tree. If I had had claws, I would have had 'em stuck in the guy's shoulder from all the trauma that I was going through at the second.

Vlad flew after us, this time with both hands glowing their trademark color. I watched as he vanished from sight. A second later, he reappeared in front of Toushiro. The Japanese guy slammed on his brakes and pulled me to a rough stop beside him.

The air fizzled pink as Vlad raised an ectoplasm covered palm and swiped it downward at Toushiro. My torturer kicked me in one direction before diving the other way. A yelp of pain and alarm found itself coming out of me as I fell off balance from having my hands still tied behind my back and landed on my side. I watched as Toushiro threw himself into a tight roll, came out of in an agile kneel, and expertly threw his knife at his ghostly opponent.

The knife met its mark. There was a sick, soft thump when the metal sunk into Vlad's shoulder. The enraged ghost gave a grunt of pain and frustration as Toushiro neatly sprung to his feet and ran for me.

I was too stunned to react when Toushiro grabbed me by an arm and forced me to my feet once again. That was the first time I'd seen someone fully human take on Vlad Plasmius and succeeded with hardly a scratch. In all reality, I think Toushiro won the previous skirmish with the powerful apparition.

Who _was_ this guy? I wanted his autograph.

Toushiro hauled me around the corner of an ugly orange colored container. I actually let him continue to lug me down more long, uncanny lit corridors and around tight turns in a maze of thousands of storage containers. When I showed the first signs of resistance, he suddenly shoved me up against one of the giant boxes, pinning me there with his strong body pressing against mine and a calloused hand covering my mouth.

"Your friend back there is an odd one, Danny," Toushiro whispered as his eyes scanned the area with a quick swipe of his green gaze.

When he took his hand away from my mouth, I spat hoarsely, "He's not my friend!"

"Point taken," Toushiro said with a wry grin that was quickly becoming his trademark. "Then who or what was that guy?"

"He's a ghost," I answered, choosing my words carefully inside my head before opening my big, dumb mouth. "He's one of Vlad Master's goons. He must have realized I was captured and sent the ghost to retrieve me."

"You lying to me _again_, kid?" Toushiro asked me incredulously. As he asked this, he had my chin in a hand. Our eyes met. The connection seemed to meet the man's needs as he searched through my soul in that single linkage of gazes. I wondered what he had found in there.

"This day just keeps getting richer," Toushiro muttered to nobody but himself. He flicked his cigarette to the floor and scanned his suspicious surroundings while crushing the contents under a shoe. The cigarette had somehow survived the fight with Plasmius, but now it proved to be dead as Toushiro lifted his foot to reveal broken, smudged pieces.

I couldn't help but make the analogy of that cigarette soon being me if Vlad ever got his hands back on his precious half ghost experiment. I'd pulled through and managed a few troubles so far in this journey, but I was near my breaking point. The heel was lowering down upon me. At some point I was gonna fall apart. I didn't know how long I could keep myself together.

The tie around my neck was suddenly jerked forward. Toushiro had found the piece of clothing a perfect collar for me and had the other end of the silk fabric in one hand, his pistol in the other. Wordlessly, Toushiro forced me to move toward him with another abrupt pull.

The hallways of containers were oddly silent. The only sound was the buzz from the spotlights blasting sparse lighting from above and our soft footfalls from below. The tension was high with each passing second I didn't see Plasmius. I knew the ghost was out there watching or searching for us. He wasn't going home without me. That lone fact kept every fiber in my body on stressful high alert.

Without any anticipation, Vlad swooped in from behind. I felt him coming a second before he reached us. My eyes caught his flying form diving for me, and a second later I was throwing myself against the cement floor. The move proved to be a prosperous one when I felt Vlad fly right overtop of me, causing my hair to ruffle and blow into my wide and scared stiff eyes.

Toushiro gave a yelp at the unexpected dodge of mine and almost lost grip of the tie. He watched with bemused astonishment as Vlad blasted right past him when missing me. It didn't take him long to get over the startle and aim at the fleeting specter. Vlad turned in midair to see the gun readily pointed at him.

Gun shots ruled the air. Each loud blast of unmeasurable sound deemed a slight cringe from me. And each bullet did no damage to Plasmius who merely phased through the danger before throwing a highly refined ball of ectoplasm at both of us in all the confusion of noise.

"Look out!" I shouted just as the ball was released. It careened toward us like a heat seeking missile following its doomed target. Toushiro heeded my warning, yanking me to the side in a hasty avoidance.

The ectoplasm ball hit the container behind us. The explosion ripped through metal and produced a heavy wave of intensive heat. It pushed both Toushiro and I off our feet. Smoke filled my lungs as I slid to a painful stop on a bruised and beaten side. Blood stained the cement from my skid across the coarse surface. The world sounded like I had a fish bowl over my head. The sensation almost sent me into unconsciousness, but I hung desperately onto my state of awareness.

Through the haze of smoke, I saw flashes of pink ectoplasm and small explosions of gunfire as Toushiro and Plasmius went at it. For a second all I could do was watch with a swirling vision of confusion. Once I got my head together, I realized this was my chance to move.

"Time to leave!" I told myself with a grit of my teeth and forcing my body into a kneel. It's hard to get to your feet with hands behind your back, I might like to add. Giving one last look at the battle raging on, I got to my unsteady feet and took off down the city of containers.

I had no clue where I was going. I knew exactly why. I didn't want the two loonies back there to get their hands on me. Escape was number one priority on my frantic mind. But I had no idea how that escape was going to happen. There were endless corridors of containers of different colors and sizes. After a minute or two, all I could think of doing was keep moving.

When the warehouse returned to a deathly silence, I realized the trouble I was now in. Vlad and Toushiro were done with their fighting. Either one of them had won and the other lost, or they had both seen that I had ran away and were now searching for me. Whichever way, I was dead meat, and I didn't like it.

"Slow down and think, Danny," I whispered to myself through gasps for oxygen. My panic induced jog reluctantly reduced speed till it was a weary walk. The new pace calmed me to a point where I could hash out a small plan and catch my breath.

Thinking clearly for the very first time that hectic night, I looked upward for the answers of the maze. After studying the flood lights, I saw that they outlined the perimeters of the warehouse. All I had to do was head to where the lights cut off and I'd find a wall of the warehouse. There were bound to be doors there where I could get out.

Plan in hand, I put it into fast action. I picked up the pace again with a certain amount of renewed hope fueling my tired and worn body. It took less than five minutes to find the wall I wanted. A long strip of open space ran parallel to the wall. It was dangerous for me to show myself so openly out there because anyone on the lookout would spot me right off the bat, but the one door that stood beckoning to me couldn't be denied in such dire circumstances.

I had familiarized myself with the exit sign in Japanese after a week and a half of living in the country. The feeling of relief washed over me as I saw it now in big characters on the door. Unfortunately, the shove of my shoulder on the push opening didn't give me the freedom I had looked forward to and deserved after all the crap I'd gone through.

"Arg! No!" I growled in frustration. Another shove of a shoulder confirmed my horrifying assumptions of it being locked. "Damnit!" My short burst of anger ended with me lifting a foot and kicking at the blockade of metal. It stood firm. Nothing happened.

Out of breath, seriously pissed beyond all reason, and worn to the end of my thinning rope, I stared at the impossible escape door for one last second before giving up on it and turning to find another means of getting out of the warehouse. In mid step, I stopped dead in my tracks. Toushiro stood at the entrance to the container maze I had just came from. His gun was drawn and aimed right at me.

"Don't you dare think for a second of running, kid," Toushiro spat the demand at me.

But of course that's what I just did. I lowered my head and bolted for another entrance to the containers. I must have taken two steps before Toushiro pulled the trigger. The cement floor in front of my feet exploded with the eruption of rude sound and a scatter of chalky debris. As a small cloud of dust died down by my feet, I released a sharp gasp and came to a complete halt. It felt like my heart had just stopped. To prevent a similar sensation from happening again, I stood where I was and hopelessly watched as Toushiro briskly walked toward me.

The man had a long gash in his forehead. It soaked his jet-black hair in red and ran down his face in slow drips of the thick, crimson liquid. He looked beaten and bruised pretty badly. Vlad hadn't held back. How the human had survived was a miracle.

"Jeez, Danny, you weren't kidding about the ghost thing," Toushiro muttered as he grabbed me by the arm. "Most of my bullets just went through him."

"Most?" I said in disbelief.

"I got all three of his illusion clones," Toushiro explained. He was escorting me around the containers, probably heading for another exit he knew wasn't locked. "First the golem and it's killing sprees. Now I've got wild evil spirits on the rampage. Mr. Izumi isn't gonna be happy about this." He glanced back at me with one of the first glares I'd seen him express and muttered dispassionately, "At least I still have you."

"Not for long," Plasmius said coldly as he revealed himself to our left. Toushiro pulled out his pistol with his free hand, swearing colorfully in both Japanese and English this time. He fired two shots at the ready and intangible Plasmius before it gave the tall tale click of being out of ammo.

Vlad expressed a knowing, victorious smile that reflected in his disturbing red eyes. He surged forward with a fist glowing brightly of ectoplasm power. Toushiro let me go to bring both arms up and cross them over his targeted face. The blow was delivered against the shielding arms and sent the man off his feet completely. He landed in a skid and rolled painfully back to his feet a couple yards away.

Taking this time of distraction to flee, I turned to high tail it out of there before any of them noticed I was getting away again. This time Vlad had wised up on my disappearing trick. He lunged back for me, saying, "Now where do you think you're going, Daniel?"

A hand found purchase on my shoulder. The grip was strong and able to pull me right back into the hands of my enemy. Vlad's other hand joined the first on my arm. He brought me toward his tree trunk of a chest while turning around to face Toushiro.

We were both stunned to see the man inches away from us and taking the last step of reloading his gun. He shoved the magazine of bullets in, cocked it, and rested the barrel against my forehead once again. Toushiro was dangerously close to Plasmius, but he had him right in the palm of his hand. Vlad was there for me. He couldn't let me die.

This was going to be interesting, to say the least.

"Do it," Vlad urged Toushiro with a cruel, sadistic smile oozing onto his face. Despite the confident attitude, I felt Vlad's show of nervousness when he tightened his grip on me. My eye twitched in fear and anxiety, but I managed to stare past the barrel and into Toushiro's narrowed, green eyes.

"No more jokes, ghost. Give the boy back," Toushiro ordered steadfastly. He refused to look at me as he ground the barrel into my perspired forehead. "Don't make me shoot the kid."

"Kill him," Vlad said with wicked delight. "Pull the trigger and kill him. You've done it many times before." Plasmius paused for effect before saying in a whisper, "Why not now?"

Toushiro gritted his teeth together in his inner struggle. He quickly glanced down at me. My gaze pleaded for him to leave me and go. If his specialty was knowing a person by their stare, then I thought it was the greatest message I could send him. Toushiro caught the emotion in that split second our eyes connected and gave a small wince. He wasn't one to give up so easily. He wanted to finish this. Letting me go hadn't even been an option till now.

"You have a weakness for kids," Vlad pointed out with a sense of triumph. The emotion was clearly evident in his voice as he continued in a gloat, "Either you have a few kids of your own, or you always remember when you were their age each time you see their faces. Whichever one you are, it doesn't matter. What matters is that you could never pull that trigger on anyone below the age of eighteen, and we both know it."

Glaring heavily up at the ghost who held me like a shield, Toushiro slowly took the pistol away from my head and let the weapon point to the floor. I could see it was taking a lot of effort on the man's part to give up like this. In a way, I felt sympathetic for the guy. He had just been doing his job, and here I was screwing his career up. I mean, I wasn't feeling _too_ bad about it. The choice was either to screw it up or get my head blown up. I'd like to keep my head in one piece, thank you very much.

"And that's what makes you weak," Vlad smirked into Toushiro's frowning face. A shout of protest came from me when Vlad lifted me off my feet and held me under one formidable arm. He took a step back from the torturer before flying upward and through the ceiling of the warehouse in one giant burst of energy.

I watched breathlessly as the warehouse got smaller. The wind from our velocity whipped crazily through my hair. The coolness of it slammed into my face like when on a hot summer's day and you dive into the depths of a cold pool. Just this wasn't refreshing in any way. It was a rude sensation that hardly registered inside me. My brain had gone into a lock that would take some time to reopen.

Vlad smoothly and speedily flew over the warehouse with the grace and ease of any ghost with his many years of experience. The warehouse building was stationed by the docks, where large shipping boats bobbed on the onyx colored waters. It was still late or early morning by the crisp blackness of the sky. All these facts didn't compute with me at the time. I took them in, but my brain didn't make an effort to file anything just yet.

We descended rapidly once coming upon the first sign of a street. Vlad phased us both through the top of a stationary limo, dumped me onto the floor, and changed back into human form in a surge of black rings.

From where I was hunched over on my knees, I watched the transformation with great interest. Of course I'd gone through the morphing process millions of times and had seen it done with Vlad from time to time, but to actually see it up close is something different. There's just enough level of awe to it that can spontaneously capture all your attention for that brief second.

And the awe feeling left when Vlad grabbed me by the back of my shirt and pulled me recklessly to my feet. He pushed me toward a seat, saying sternly, "Sit." I automatically collapsed into the leather chair and watched as the man tapped on the tinted window blocking off the front seat to indicate to the driver to get moving. A second later, we were cruising into traffic and heading back toward Miss Tanaka's mansion.

With everything said and done, Vlad Masters sat back in the seat across from mine and closed his eyes with a tiresome sigh.

"What am I going to do with you?" he muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose as if he'd had a sleepless night without any success. In away, the assumption was very true. I'm sure he had as much sleep as I had, which wasn't much to begin with. Then he had to go find and rescue me from a torturer. I wasn't making his night very enjoyable. And you know what? I didn't care. He deserved some crap after what he'd recently put me through. This was nothing compared to my past week.

"Um...you could untie me," I suggested with the burst of a hopeful smile.

Vlad opened one of his eyes and steered it lethargically over toward me. I turned sideways to show him that my wrists were still bound by the rope. He sat back up, saying, "Come over here, then."

When I hesitated in the fear that he was going to trick me somehow and deliver some pain, the man motioned for me to come with a hand and said, exasperated, "Oh, come on, Daniel. It's not like I bite."

"How do I know you aren't lying?" I shot back with uncertainty.

"Do you want me to untie you or not?" Vlad asked with a half smile. He seemed to be in a surprisingly good mood, so I took my chances and got up out of my seat and stood by the man. Vlad took hold of my shoulder and steered me in front of him. He sat me down between his legs so as to get to my wrists better.

The ring of a cellphone caught both our attentions. "That has to be Katsumi," Vlad muttered while pulling the phone out of an inside pocket to his suit jacket. He checked the caller ID to confirm his hypothesis before flipping it open and asking casually, "What did you find, my friend?"

Miss Tanaka's muffled voice could be heard on the other end. Sighing to release the lingering fragments of fear and nervousness off me, I waited for Vlad to be over with his conversation. Sitting there with nothing to do, I found myself retrogressing into the depression from that afternoon. I wished to shake it off, but I didn't know how.

"Sure, you can talk to him," Vlad said suddenly. He took the phone away from his ear, covered up the receiver with a hand, and said into my ear, "Tell her your date with Ran went great and you have many things to tell her when we all get the time, preferably tomorrow."

All too soon, the phone was pressed against my ear. Without skipping a beat, I asked into it, "Hello? Miss Tanaka?"

"Oh, Danny, how did the date go with Ran?" Katsumi asked as if she was a nosy neighbor gossiping at the local hair salon. It was almost comical. "You guys were out till very late. It must have gone over well."

"Yeah, it did," I lied with a small, bitter chuckle. If only she knew that the girl had turned out to be a better spy than I was and put me in the hands of her torturer uncle. But if Vlad wanted a fake story, I was sure gonna sell it.

"Do you think she revealed enough evidence to tell us her father is the one controlling the golem?" Katsumi asked.

"I got a lot out of her," I lied straight through my teeth. It was scary how easy this was. "It might be enough, but I'll have to run it by both you and Vlad." I yawned loudly before adding with a tired voice, "But can that wait till morning? I'm beat. That girl can sure wear you out, you know?"

"Of course," Katsumi said as if she was thinking the exact thing. "I wouldn't expect you to think straight at two in the morning. We can all wait till you and Vlad have slept up. Wait! I have a fabulous idea! How about all three of us dress up and plan to go out for lunch tomorrow to discuss what we all found. It sounds great! Now, can you give the phone back to your father?"

"Sure," I said, frowning at the mention of the time. It was official. My sleeping schedule was permanently screwed. There was no way to fix it.

"She wants to talk to you," I told Vlad a second later.

Giving me a smile of satisfaction, Vlad whispered into my ear while taking the phone away, "Good boy."

As he went back to his conversation with the lady, I sat pondering those two simple words as they echoed hauntingly in my head. They ground against the insides of my skull, almost to the point of flinching. Instead, I got away with a distressed grimace. Those are words you give to a pet dog that is obeying to your every gratification. Had I become Vlad's dog?

With all the lying I'd done over the past few days and with the ton of crap I'd put up with for him, my only answer was yes. Without me knowing it, I'd succumbed to the cute, little, compliant experiment Vlad always wanted me to be. Or maybe I had seen it coming all along and just didn't know the means to stop it from finally happening. But now that it was smacking me in the face, I still didn't know what to do. Was I really this helpless? What could I do to fight back?

"All right, we'll all talk and discuss this tomorrow afternoon," Vlad finished up with Katsumi. "Have a good night." He hung up with a snap of the phone and a disgusted, short sigh. The device was shoved back into it's spot as he grumbled, "I hate it when she puts on that fake cheer." He regarded me for a second before asking, "Why are you so quiet?"

"Oh, I don't know," I said with a sarcastic shrug. "Maybe I'm just traumatized from my little torture session with Ran's uncle."

"You're cute," Vlad humored me, tone flat. He bent me forward, grabbed the rope binding my wrists, and phased them through flesh and bone without even having to turn ghost. He brought me back up into a straight position and kept his hands on my shoulders as he leaned me in different ways to inspect the damage.

"What did you tell him?" he asked without any emotion.

"Nothing important," I answered quietly. "You came in before I could say much."

As I told him this, Vlad's hand found a location of interest on my shoulder. He pulled away my shirt to reveal the bruises left by Toushiro's crafty fingers. Without any warning, Vlad dug his fingers in the exact spot Toushiro had to break me down. Instantly, my muscles tightened into a knot of intense, burning pain. Vlad rested his chin on the other shoulder and flashed a sadistic grin at me as he ordered in a dark voice, "You're going to tell me everything you told that Japanese man. Got it?"

The pressure was released. Vlad watched me with well trained patience as I shivered there in my seat, gasping to regain my breath. My eyes narrowed as they stared at the floor at our feet.

"He wanted to know why I was working for you," I admitted. "They know everything about me somehow. They had a file. Toushiro guessed I was kidnapped, but I didn't say yes or no to that question."

I stopped, trying to remember clearly what had happened only a few minutes ago. Maybe it was the all the craziness that had happened that night, but for some reason it was taking me some time to digest the events. Usually I was allowed some down time to think about these things, but today I was being forced into a high speed comprehension process.

"Go on," Vlad ordered me sternly.

"He...he thought you were the one controlling the golem," I said with a confused shake of my head. "I mean, I wouldn't know if he was just messing with me or not, but he seemed really surprised when I told him we thought his boss was the one who owned the golem. And he didn't know a thing about those ghost hunters that were after us. It was weird."

"Did he ever hint that he knew you had ghost powers of any kind?" Vlad asked, calm and composed despite this information.

"He tied me up with rope," I said critically. "What do you think? If he and the rest of the Izumi drug dealers knew we were ghosts, they surely would have taken better measures of keeping me locked up rather than using a lousy piece of rope and a single gun for protection."

"You do make a point," Vlad mused. "Although he did have a knife," he added jokingly. He flexed the sore shoulder which had gotten wounded and winced a little before muttering, "And I have a scar to prove it. That human was uncharacteristically experienced when it came down to fighting."

"But you know what I mean," I said, trying to steer us back on track. "All this proves nothing."

"What are you trying to say, boy?" Vlad asked me with grave curiosity. "Spit it out already."

"What I'm saying is that maybe Izumi isn't the drug dealer that is controlling the golem," I said. "Why are we going after him in the first place? Because Katsumi told us to? You don't even trust her!"

"You think Katsumi controls the golem?" Vlad asked. His tone didn't give any indication of his emotions. If anything, he sounded like he was simply thinking hard and was only asking the question to occupy me as he thought things through.

"No," I said with a laugh. "She's freakishly weird, but no. I mean. Come on. She hired you and I to investigate this thing. She has to know we're experts with supernatural stuff like this, both of us being half ghost and all. She wouldn't be that stupid that she'd send us out to destroy the golem, 'cause we're probably the only ones who can."

"You make another good point," Vlad said stoically after a long pause. He was staring out the opposite window, but I don't think he was seeing anything as lights and figures flashed on by. He was in a pensive mood, eyes slightly narrowed and a thin frown forming on his lips as that brilliant brain of his worked it out. I could almost see the gears whirling in his head.

After about a minute of silence, Vlad snapped out of his pondering by glancing solemnly at me from where I was still sitting in front of him. "You look awful," he stated the obvious.

"Thanks," I shot back with a firm frown. "And you look as pretty as a butterfly."

"Did he punch you?" he asked while leaning in to inspect my face. It sounded like he was purposely avoiding the last subject. I wondered why. Had he come to a conclusion and decided not to tell me it or something? This new erratic behavior was driving me nuts!

I didn't respond to the question because I was busy wincing from him touching my sore jaw. It throbbed with even the slightest pressure. I was lucky I didn't lose a tooth.

"You'll need to put ice on that when we get back," Vlad said, continuing his dodging act as if I was buying stupidly into it. I wanted to pursue what we had just been talking about, but if Vlad didn't want to go there, I wouldn't be able to convince him otherwise. With a frustrated sigh, I gave up on wanting to return to the more important subject and dropped it completely. In quick time, I came up with a new one.

"How'd you know I was there in that warehouse?" I asked, looking ahead as he played doctor.

He didn't answer at first. Frowning, he lightly brushed his fingertips over some dried blood on my face from when I had skidded after the explosion he had created. I flinched and jerked instinctively away from his stinging touch. When I peeked open my eyes, he was looking right at me.

"Your watch has a tracking device in it," he answered finally with a sly smile finding its way to his lips. He tapped the side of his head, saying, "I thought I told you, boy. I think of everything."

"Jeez, I'm like a trapped animal," I said with eyes narrowing in defensive anger. My gaze traveled down to my wrist with the watch strapped on it before I looked back at a smug Vlad. "You ever see that weird show where they watch and track that funky meerkat family on TV as some college experiment? That's me! I'm now like that show!" I pointed to myself for emphasis.

"Really?" Vlad asked with an entertained laugh. "How so?"

"I'm your experiment!" I shouted at him. "You put this on me to track where I go then throw me out into the wilderness to see what I'd do. There should be a TV show about me. About all the shit you force me to go through. I'd be the most entertaining thing out there!"

"Oh, you're plenty entertaining alright," Vlad agreed. He flashed me an amused smile as he continued, "But don't give yourself too much credit. It's a bit prideful, my boy. And pride is most unbecoming of the superhero career you're oh so foolishly yearning to achieve."

"You're impossible," I said in an exploding grumble. I rose from my seat in a feeble attempt to walk away from the man annoying me. As usual, with Vlad not being done with me, he pulled me back into the seat and kept me there with a firm grip on my shoulder.

He then did something unexpected. Vlad wrapped his arms around mine from behind and leaned his head over my right shoulder to say, "I need you to do something for me." When I was about to protest, he quickly opened one of his fists to reveal something in the palm of his hand. It was a zip drive, like the ones you plug into a computer to transfer files onto or from.

"Keep this on you at all times," Vlad said with a quiet, demanding voice. "It has important information on it about the golem from Eli Goldberg. I don't want it to fall into the wrong hands."

"Why give it to me then?" I asked with a suspicious tone.

"No one would suspect a kid to possess it," Vlad answered. "Just keep it safe for the next two days while I figure out how to take care of the golem. After we're done, we can both go home. Is that clear?" I nodded in understanding, hope swelling up in me at the mention of home. He put the zip drive in my waiting hand and watched as I shoved the device into my front left pocket.

"And Danny," Vlad added with a small hint of caution and warning in his voice. The tone alarmed me, and I spun around to face him to hear what he had to say. "Watch your back."

A/N: Vladdy sure is an odd one. I think he knows what's going on, but he's not sure yet about telling Danny. Hm. Wonder why? Guess you guys will have to wait and see.

Oh, and to the one reviewer who picked out those two Japanese names from Bleach, I have to fuss up. I totally got them from the show. Also, Toushiro is from Bleach too. Awesome name. Awesome show. That's all I gotta say.

But, due to a terrible rampage of the busy monster who has wrecked havoc on my homeland, my updating schedule might not be as perfect these next few weeks. I'm hoping to get a job in the next few days, and that will take up a good chunk of my time. So, prepare for some delays from time to time. As usual, though, expect updates every two weeks and on weekends. Thankfully, I only have a few chapters left.

Okay, I'll hopefully see you guys in two weeks! Hope you guys had a great Christmas! Have a Happy New Years!


	18. Chapter 18 This Is Your Mind On Crazy

A/N: Sorry for the week delay here. My new job at Petsmart is keeping me fairly busy. I'd have plenty of time to myself if I didn't have a crazed aunt who is literally a fruit loop. In fact, my friend and I have nicknamed her that when I realized the other day that to her I was a pet and literally treated like one, especially when she talks to me. Crazy how the things I write about come true. Maybe I should slow down with Danny's tortures before they happen to me. Naw. I'm having too much fun. Although, this chapter is slow and more of a filler one. And Danny's stuck in a depressed funk that's annoying to me. But don't worry. He'll snap out of it by next chapter. Read and enjoy!

Disclaimer: Anything Danny Phantom does not belong to me.

Chapter 18 This Is Your Mind On Crazy

There's something about a sunrise that makes life seem so hopeful. The explosion of pinks across the perfect blue sky, marked with deep, royal purples and oranges that reminded me of the fruit lifted my spirits the morning after my capture and torture by the Izumis'. It wasn't enough to make me happy, or content for that matter, but my mood was generally much better than it was from the day before. That's saying a lot.

To watch this wonderful sunrise, I had slipped out of the room early that morning with food in mind. Vlad had either forgotten to handcuff me to the bed frame or didn't see the need anymore. I didn't know if he was messing with my mind somehow by not taking the security measures, but I wasn't gonna let it restrict me to the confides of the room with him all morning.

The kitchen had held exactly what my stomach needed. Toast. On a normal morning, where the house is a flood of yelling wake up calls, shower steam, and the thick smell of mom's somewhat questionable cooking, I usually slip by with a slice or two or toast before walking to school. That morning I wanted to return to the comfort of familiarity as I watched the toaster burn the bread I had found.

After breakfast was ready with the accompany a thick slap of butter, I wondered out into the small garden that was beside the kitchen. The door there was open, so I took the scenic route that morning and strolled outside to relax a little and think things through.

The garden was something that Sam would be envious of. Tall bamboo stalks lined the perimeter of the entire garden. If a panda came through, he'd have a smorgasbord of storage for his stomach. A rock pathway circled a small zen garden, which was the center point of the place. Everywhere else was covered with emerald colored grass and peach trees. The spring had brought about the pink blossoms. They danced in the air like little ballerinas on the winds. The sight brought an odd, peaceful calm on me.

The zen garden took most of my interest. Some kind of rake had been used with the sand to create line patterns on the surface. In the center was a giant rock that looked hundreds of years old with dark stains and moss growing around the archaic edges.

Holding the last piece of toast in my mouth, I calculated the distance it was from the pathway to the rock. A large leap took me from point A to point B. The rock was warmed just enough by the recent morning sunlight and felt right for a place to sit and relax. That's what I did. I sat cross legged in the middle of the zen garden and slowly ate at my toast.

Although I was supposedly in a place of zen, my mind was nowhere near that silly goal. It restlessly turned over ideas and schemes on how to get out of the mess I was stuck in. It went over what I'd learned and what I wanted or needed to know. It even took into consideration the things that Vlad had told and taught me.

If I kept resisting Vlad, I was only being a challenge to the man. Vlad enjoyed torturing me because I was entertaining to watch as I squirmed in his death grip. As sick as that sounds, it's true. The second I gave up, I'd either be dubbed uninteresting and thrown to the side or be taken under his wing, broken down, and brainwashed into believing I was better off with him in the first place. It was a win-win situation on his part. Lucky him.

I, on the other hand, needed to find some kind of win or compromise to survive this. Personally, I didn't want to lose and let Vlad do whatever he wanted with me. That's just not an option. And I hear brainwashing changes who you are. Yeah, it's just not my thing. I'll stick with being the superhero good guy, thank you very much.

My best option was to stick it out. I'd have to go by Vlad's plan and rebel whenever I found the chance solely to remind him I wasn't fully his just yet. I didn't like it. Truthfully, I hated it. But in all reality, I trusted him more than anyone else in the city. I could rely on him to be crazy and also at the same time my guardian. With so much danger lurking around me, I could seriously get hurt if things got desperate between drug dealers. It was best to stay on the man's somewhat good side, let him deal with the hard stuff like the golem, and then go home.

It was so simple, and yet so hard.

Pulling out the zip drive from my boxer's pocket, I pondered what type of information was stored in the tiny space. It would have been nice to have a computer to use it on, but I was banned from something like that. In the mean time, I assumed that I might have been holding the key to this puzzle.

Vlad was being suspiciously trusting when he gave this to me. Maybe he wanted me to bend over backwards to try and get to a computer to figure the information out on my own, defying him, but at the same time doing exactly what he wanted of me. No. I wasn't gonna fall for that trick anymore. I was done trying out for the position of his side-kick-to-be. The best thing for me to do was to leave the thing alone.

Or better yet...hide it. Vlad had wanted it to be in my possession. Why? I had no clue. But the rules were pretty clear that he wanted me to hang onto it. The zip drive was important. _I_ was important. Maybe he wanted to two most important things on this mission to be in one place all the time. I'd be easier to keep a track of, that's for sure. So why not throw a spoon into Vlad's blender and see what'd happen?

I plucked both socks off my feet. Carefully, I slipped the zip drive into one sock and then pulled the other sock over the first, closing the opening to the first with the second. Then, after making sure with a quick glance that no one was looking, I leaned over the side of the rock and scooped away some sand where the rake designs didn't touch. I placed the treasure of socks inside the hole, covered it back up, and sat back on my rock to finish my breakfast with mild, pointless daydreams to occupy the time.

The twitter of a yellow canary brought me out of my thinking. It had landed in the sand with a soft flutter of wings. The bird gave a chirp, tilting its head to the side as it looked up at me expectantly. With small hops, it ventured closer to me and the rock with a boldness I'd never seen in a wild bird.

"You want my toast, don't you?" I asked with a bitter smile. The bird cheeped its yes before gracefully flying up onto the rock beside me. I broke off a piece of the bread and held it out for the avian to take. It reminded me to feed Zuma soon. That kitten eats like a pig. I love it.

The bird was perfectly yellow. Like the sun had peed on it or something. It was kinda pretty as it pecked skittishly at the bread in my palm before jumping up into my hand to serve as its final perch for breakfast. The distraction was so great, I hardly registered the severity of the action when a wisp of blue mist forced its way out of my mouth.

"Time is short, young warrior."

"Whoa!" Spinning around sharply scared away the bird. It gave a frightened and angry chirp as it took to the skies. As it flew away, I found myself two feet away from a fox spirit. She sat there with her puffy tail dancing circles behind her. I didn't know if that was a natural thing or just a nervous reaction.

"You gotta stop scaring me like that," I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck out of awkward habit. "I'm gonna suffer a heart attack one of these days."

"If you were in ghost form, a heart attack wouldn't be possible," the fox spirit said, totally serious and deadpan.

"Good to know," I sneered sarcastically. "When I get this stupid watch off me and get my powers back, I'll be sure to turn ghost before you pop up out of nowhere on me. Sheesh."

"Why are you angry with me?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

"I'm not angry at you, okay?" I said, rubbing my forehead in frustration. "I'm just a little tense at the moment. Saving the city from an ancient evil golem isn't exactly a cake walk. And it's not like I have all the freedom to do what I want while being prisoner to a guy straight from loonyville."

"Then who are you angry at? Is it Vlad Masters?" she continued with the questions. And why she was sticking to the subject of anger was confusing and stupid.

"Well, yeah!" I said with a sharp laugh. She needed to get out more.

"Why?"

"If you haven't noticed, he's a seriously screwed up fruit loop," I told her, bothered that I was having to explain myself. "He's been beating and torturing me for days now. All because he wants me to be his apprentice slash pet slash something or other. I'm sick of it! I don't even know if I wanna give up or not. I'm too tired to fight anymore. I-I'm just weary of it."

For a second I fought unwanted tears away with a desperate sort of sniff. I brought up my knees to my chest and rested my arms on them. My face turned away from the silent fox as I put my chin in the crook of my elbow and stared blankly out at the garden.

"Being weary of the battle is a natural part of life, young one," the fox said after a pause. "But what matters most is when you are able to push through your hard times and come out victorious in the end."

"That only counts when there's a chance of winning," I muttered. "I've thought so long and hard about it that I think my brain's gonna be in a constant head ache for the rest of my life. There is no good option here for me. Whatever I do, I'm screwed."

"Then why not use intuition and your heart instead of your mind?" she asked with a cunning smile.

When I didn't give her a response of any kind, she faded with the wind. Although I wanted to be glad that she and her demanding, wise ways were gone, I still felt a twinge of pain at being abandoned so suddenly. That's why I smiled into my arm when she reappeared a few seconds later in a ripple of color in front on me. The spirit wasn't giving up on my dreary attitude just yet. At least someone had hope in me that I could somehow do something right.

The fire colored animal looked at me with a soft, motherly type of smile on her fox lips. I found it odd that such an animal or ghost could provoke a comparison like that from me. Lonely, frustrated, weary, and confused, I watched the fox spirit with a sense of enthrallment.

"A spirit or ghost does not have a physical heart like all humans do," the spirit told me. "But I hope you have noticed in your journeys that most ghosts use their hearts more often than wits. That is why they do not pass over. Their hearts are still deeply rooted to earth or the people that inhabit it. Logic and rules do not control their lives like they do humans."

"What does this have to do with me and me being here?" I blurted out rudely. That day I was having trouble keeping a hold on my tongue. It was lashing out without my consent at such an early hour that I had no clue how I'd survive the day once it ran into Vlad.

The fox had patience with me. Her tone never hardened, and her voice never rose as she told me calmly, "My point, young warrior, is that you are half ghost. You naturally use your own intuition to make decisions. In all my years, I've never seen someone as balanced and wise as you at such a young age."

"Wise? Me?" I muttered with an acrid chuckle. "Not likely."

"Well, maybe it is not one of your strong character points at the moment," the fox smiled. "What I want you to know is that being both human and ghost is better than being fully one or the other. Humans tend to be cruel with their logic and intelligence. Ghosts are chaotic from leading their lives by pure emotions. Both sides have their strengths and weaknesses. Only a few people in this world have been able to balance the two. You were gifted by being both human and ghost and to be able to naturally achieve that balance."

"If I'm so great at the balance, then how the hell did I get stuck in this royal nightmare?" I asked in a grumble.

"Not everyone can see the future and what it holds," she said. "You did not see your capture coming. That is something you could not predict and can not change. What matters now is that your assistance is needed. Vlad Masters might be a problem to you, but there are bigger things happening in Tokyo than your rival with the man."

"Yeah, I know," I shot back with a deep sigh. "I'm supposed to take care of this golem thing despite the fact that it can kill me with a single gaze. I have no clue how I'm gonna stop the thing, but I'm working on it, alright?"

"No. You can not stop it. It will kill you," she said. As always when talking about the golem, she was serious and stern when she addressed me.

The words rocked me into a short, surprised silence. I blinked at the fox, eyes wide in shock and confusion. "Huh? I thought you told me I was supposed to help you. Now I don't have to? Is it dead already?"

"No. I miss calculated the power of the golem. It is too strong for me, you, human, or ghost," she told me. "You must not be in ghost form when you are close to it. The power of the golem is entirely different than a ghost's. A golem's power is superior to a ghost's, and the golem will try to suck up and destroy a ghost's energy. I want you to be careful if you come into contact with it again."

"Wait!" I said, voice rising in aggravation and fear. "How do I destroy this thing if I'm weaker than it and all it will do is suck me up like a vacuum cleaner from hell? This is impossible!"

"You must find the person who has the power to be impervious to attacks from spiritual and magical things such as the golem," the fox explained.

My eyes lit up with understanding. "Hey, wait! Like that genetic thing Vlad was talking about!" I said with excitement. "He told me about these kinds of people with a genetic mutation that allows them to not be affected by ghosts. Is that what you're talking about?"

The fox smiled at me. She seemed happy to see that I knew what she was talking about. With a nod, she said, "Yes. You will have to find this person and convince them to help by defeating the golem."

"Whoa! Hold on! Time out!" I said loudly, making a T symbol quickly with my hands. "You're talking like I know this person or something. I don't exactly know anyone with that mutation. How am I gonna find one of these guys in this entire city, or in the whole world for that matter? I can hardly find my shoes before school each day. And I have no time to go running down the streets of Tokyo like a lunatic, asking if people are resistant to ghost attacks."

"Calm down, young warrior," the fox spirit said with a gentle sigh. "You will find this person in due time. Trust your instincts. They will guide you. Although Vlad Masters has taught you a very important skill in thinking things through and handling plans, please remember that logic is not necessarily key to fighting all battles."

Then, without a warning or goodbye, she vanished. My mouth opened to shout my angry protest, but the whispering, warm laugh of the spirit brushed into me as a light breeze flew past. I closed my eyes, listening to the the bell-like laughter as it faded with the wind. With it, it took my exasperation, and I sat back in a perplexed daze.

"Danny!"

Stifling a frighted gasp, I spun around on the rock toward the pathway. Vlad was standing there looking a tad bit winded from a run. A furious light was in his narrowed eyes as a tight, thin frown made its way to his lips. This didn't look good.

"Who were you just talking to?" Vlad demanded with an accusatory index finger pointed in my direction.

The groan that came from me was full of annoyance as I brought my palms to my face in misery. "It was that fox spirit again," I said although I was wasting my breath on him. "She was warning me of that golem. Says I shouldn't approach it in ghost form."

I wasn't going to tell him that I had to find someone with that mutation. He'd probably go all Gung-ho on the idea of someone in Tokyo with those genes and do who knows what to try and find the person to multiply his power somehow. Honestly, he's so predictable that way. You wave something that could give him more power in his face, and he'll come after it like flies on stink.

"Get over here," the man barked the order. The index finger redirected itself to point down at the pathway where Vlad stood. The cold look on his face told me that this wasn't the time to defy him.

Rolling my eyes, I got to my feet and jumped nimbly to the rock pathway. A second after landing, Vlad had my arm in his hand. It was an unyielding, firm grip that produced a grunt of pain from me. He held the arm up with the watch on it to to his eye level. With his free hand, Vlad spun in the combination and punched in the face. I made a grimace as the pins and needles rushed down my arm.

"How are we going to destroy the golem?" I asked as he inspected the watch.

Vlad paused to glance down at me. "Didn't the fox spirit tell you?" he asked with a raised eyebrow and a sly smile lightly touching his features. Shockingly, he thought I was lying about the fox.

"No," I said with a firm frown. "She's not really good at giving specific directions."

"In that case, let me explain it clearly for you," Vlad said, tightening his grip on my arm and pulling me closer. "There are two ways to kill a golem. One, you take the piece of paper with its orders written in blood on it from its fiery mouth. That's the hard way because you're likely to get killed before completing it. Two, you kill its master."

Vlad watched as I squirmed when hearing the second option. I didn't want to kill anyone. Just the thought of it twisted my stomach into knots of apprehension and made my throat dry up. There had to be some better way. I was really gonna have to find this mutant person soon, or Vlad was going to murder another victim.

"There's another way, right?" I asked with a nervous laugh. "We-I mean you can't just kill another person. I mean, what if there was um...someone who is, ya know, immune to golems or something that could help us get the paper out of its mouth?"

"What are you stuttering about?" Vlad asked me in confusion. "Did that spirit tell you something you aren't telling me, boy? Spit it out."

I gave a short growl of frustration. I was saying too much here. "No. She hardly told me anything important like that," I lied. "I'm just wondering if there's a better way to this. I can't allow you to just kill people. It's wrong."

Vlad's eyebrows rose into his forehead in sudden amusement. He let out a sharp, mocking laugh at my words and said into my face in a dark tone, "Oh, dear boy, even if you wanted to stop me, you couldn't. And let me warn you now. Don't get in my way. Understand?"

When I didn't respond at first, he squeezed my arm into a painful death grip. Through my wince, I nodded and said, "Yeah. I get it, okay?"

"Good boy," Vlad said with a pleasant smile, letting me go. As I stared at the ground with a distressed look upon my face, rubbing my sore arm, the man patted me on the head like the good little pet I was. He steered me toward the house, saying calmly, "Now, you better go feed that miserable cat of yours. That little beast eats like a pig. I hate it."

-Hours Later-

Like jewels, the koi fish gracefully glided through the water that surrounded the platform our table was on. The white, black, orange, and red colors of their fins and scales all mixed together in the water as they swam elegantly around white water lilies and deep green pads. Their small whiskers made the fish look almost wise to a point. Some even came up to the edge where I sat and stared knowingly at me for a second before leaving to live their life somewhere else.

I wondered if they were there for show or if the expensive sushi restaurant fished them out each day and fried 'em up for the customers. Not likely.

I remember staring at the koi that afternoon at lunch time. Waitresses walked by the indoor pool of beautiful fish, not giving it a single glance. No one seemed to care about the interesting creatures or were as oddly enthralled with them as much as I was. Truthfully, I wasn't thinking much about them either. They were just a place to rest my eyes as I blocked out the conversation going on at my table.

My mind was rewinding itself to that kiss with Ran the other night. In my head, I could picture the moon's reflection in the black waters, her crimson dress as it followed the curves of her body, that ruby necklace, her hands in my hair, her lips on mine, and our hearts beating in-sync with one another.

Sighing, I felt the agonizing twinge of guilt weigh against my chest. I had no feelings for Ran. There was no reason why I had to keep having these silly memories of her and that kiss. Actually, the girl was crazy, and I was never going to see her again. Why was my mind still dwelling on her? Why did it constantly return to the thrill of heat each time our gazes met?

My real reason for guilt was that I knew I was letting down Sam. Even if she would never know that Ran and I had kissed, it was still cheating, or at least felt like it. We weren't a couple, I know, but I felt like we could be one day. I was pretty sure that she liked me. Why else would we be friends? Being best friends is fine and all, but sooner or later we're gonna have to be more, or I was going to be driven insane. I don't know why we were waiting. The slow pace was almost killing me.

Some days I get up with a certain impatience. I decide that I'm gonna tell her I love her that day and set out of the house with that solely in mind. Then, like a coward, I choke up at the sight of her and tell myself that I was stupid for even considering rushing things along. You have no clue how many times I've done that the past few months. It's not even funny.

I wonder if she does the same thing.

I've saved the world from slimy, gross monsters and evil, power hungry ghosts who could rip me to shreds if I had made a single wrong move. I've done all this without even a second thought of my own personal safety. But I can't tell a girl who I've known since we were kids and who is my best friends that I love her. I'm so weak.

Instead of professing my feelings to Sam, I go and kiss some random nut job on the other side of the world because Vlad tells me that I have to be her girlfriend. I was being a moron. A royal moron. I could write my stupidness off because of the stress of being Vlad's prisoner, but there were really no good excuses for what I'd done this week. There was no hiding the fact that I was acting like an idiot.

How was I ever gonna fix this?

I didn't want to think of how at the moment. My head was still in its depressed funk. Instead of trying to find the rare and hopeless good things about my week, I dwelled on the hard times. My taste of complaining was more hungry than my stomach was at the moment. The narrow plate of sushi was only half eaten in front of me.

The inner complaining started off with how many beatings I'd gotten. There was a rather fair amount. Vlad was usually the one doing the hitting. I still had some bruises to prove it. Mentally, I counted the bruises on my body until they surpassed the number of fingers I would have if I four hands.

In the back of my head, it felt like I was losing it. Who did this? Who complained to themselves to pass the time or counted their bruises and fights, it being the only thing to do? Was I going crazy as well? Was I slipping? Deep down inside of me, I screamed for someone to snap their fingers in front of my face to wake me up from this delusional mindset.

"Danny!"

Startled by my request being granted in the sharp bark from Vlad beside me, I sat up straighter on my pillow and blinked at him, confused. He didn't look angry, surprisingly. There was a small hint of concern and perplexity in his eyes instead of the irritated expression I had predicted.

Katsumi's cute, little laughter made me turn my head over to her. "Danny," she said, "It was as if you were hypnotized. We both called your name at least twice. What could you possibly be thinking about that would capture so much of your attention?"

"I-I was just sort of um...daydreaming, I guess," I answered with uncertainty. Frowning with disapproval of myself, I looked down at my plate of sushi again and forced some of the rolls inside my mouth to buy myself some time before the questions began. The sticky rice and seaweed were just perfect as the taste exploded inside my mouth. If I wasn't frantic at the time, my taste buds would have enjoyed this piece of heaven.

"Daydreaming about what?" Katsumi asked with a sly, cat-like smile. "Ran Izumi?"

Cheeks burning red, I hurried my chewing and swallowed while saying quickly, "No! I-I mean kinda. Yeah." She giggled to herself as I gave a growl and said, "Not in that kind of way, okay?"

"You were thinking of the information you got from her last night, weren't you?" Vlad smoothly came in with well choice words. I glanced over to him with a half smile of quick thanks, and he gave me a knowing wink in return.

Nodding, I said, "Yeah. That's what I was thinking about."

Miss Tanaka had seen the transaction between us. She pursed her lips in curiosity before smiling and asking, "What kind of information did you get out of her?"

"A lot of it confirms that Izumi is the one controlling the golem," Vlad butted in before I could say anything. "She once said that her father had wished to be the only drug dealer in the business here in Tokyo." He pinned me with a demanding look before saying, "Tell her, Daniel."

My mouth opened, but nothing came out. In a flash of panic, I realized that my brain had frozen. My bank of lies was locked tight. I tried prying it open, but nothing was working properly. Crap.

"Tell her," Vlad repeated, irritation seeping into his voice this time. My wide, frightened eyes locked with his. In that gaze, he told me I'd better shape up before I earned myself another beating. The threat kicked my head back into gear. Regretfully, the lie presented itself.

"Sorry," I apologized with a swift smile. "It took me a while to remember all of it. Ran's a party girl. We had to drink a little to loosen her up a bit, you know. Some of last night is a little fuzzy at times."

"That's understandable," Katsumi said with a gentle nod. Vlad went back to eating, looking relieved. What would he ever do if his puppet on a string didn't do what it was told? I almost wanted to cut my own strings, freeing myself from his clutches. But that wasn't exactly an option, unfortunately.

"Well, we were in her apartment at this point," I said as if trying to remember it right. Really, I was buying time to think of how to lie correctly to this woman. "I was asking her questions about her life, and the subject of her dad came up. She only mentioned it, but she said her dad had once told her he wanted to be the top drug dealer of Tokyo and vowed to do so. But, I mean, who _doesn't_ want to be king pin?" I gave a convincing shrug to sum it all up.

"You went to her apartment?" Katsumi asked with a sneaky smile generated only for me. I felt uncomfortable under her stare now, as if she knew something I didn't know.

"That girl does not wait long, does she?" Miss Tanaka continued, the smile widening. "Would you say you two are officially together at the moment, then?" When I gave her an odd look of incomprehension, she went on to say with an awkward laugh, "Were you two...intimate last night is what I'm trying to say."

My cheeks flushed a brighter red than before with this implied question. Why the hell would she ask such a thing? It was incredibly uncalled for. What made it worse was when I quickly shot a glance over to Vlad for any kind of confirmation to my heated emotions and for him to stand by my side somehow. Why I'd think he'd do this for me, I had no clue. Maybe I was just desperate. But the truth was in his glare.

His look demanded me to lie.

My head shook itself as I almost opened my mouth and did exactly what he'd silently ordered me. The words had been so close to spouting out of my mouth, as if lying for the man was an impulsive reaction for me. It was a horrible, gut wrenching feeling when I caught myself and had to shout in my head to stop this nonsense.

"Danny-," Vlad started, calmly but sternly. I decided I could be spared the lecture.

"No!" I shouted back at him before he could get anything more than my name out. He frowned with disapproval at my random outburst. My finger thrust in his direction as I commanded in a fury of words, "No! Don't say anything!"

Vlad didn't look at all fazed from my indignant yelling. He calmly took me in with a attenuated frown forming to his lips as he stared at me. The entire room paused at the loud disturbance and looked at me in either shock or outrage, as if they had never felt the emotion and even the notion of anger was forbidden in this land. Katsumi looked by far the most shocked at my irate actions.

Scrambling to my feet, I took the two at my table in with an air of distain. Some of my anger had been diffused by just my shouting. There wasn't enough left to go on anymore as a feeling of resilient despair settled down on my shoulders, which felt like drooping. My brain searched for a solution to the problem at hand. A second later, I'd come up with a crummy result that I took without complaint.

"Excuse me," I said in a quiet snarl. My eyes refused to be captured by Vlad's piercing, curious gaze as I chose to leave by going around where Katsumi sat. The entire restaurant watched me storm off.

Before I was out of ear shot, I heard Vlad apologize to his friend and excuse himself as well. I glowered more and picked up my pace, frown hardening onto my face as I glared darkly ahead at the exit doors. I pushed my way through staring, waiting guests at the front who clogged the walkway to the door. All I wanted was to get out of there. That's all my mind could function with as I shoved people aside with hardly any kindness. They all watched me go with looks of contempt for my rebellious ways.

The double doors were pushed open, bright afternoon sun crashed into my face and wrapped by body in its warm rays, and the freedom I so desperately had wanted was just as far away from reach as it had been in the limitations of the restaurant. My fingers ran through my hair as I briskly walked down the busy sidewalk, full of people rushing to or from their lunch breaks. I didn't know where I was going. Escape wasn't even on my mind anymore. Maybe I just needed to get away and think. I was tired of thinking, but I had to do it.

A bench on a less traveled sidewalk just two blocks away from the restaurant proved to be my stopping point. Exploding with a sigh, I sat on the cool piece of metal and stared dispassionately at the cement floor until a pair of shoes came into my line of sight. My eyes traveled upward, meeting with Vlad's a moment later. His frowning expression was making it hard for me to tell if he was angry or not. I didn't exactly like it, but anything was better than fury from this man.

My helpless look of one that was similar to a mouse when being finally cornered by a cat in the dire fate of the circle of life didn't spurn a wink of emotion to Vlad's impassive face. Giving up on reading him, I leaned forward, rested my elbows on my legs, and stared morosely at my hands. I had to come to the point where I didn't care what the man said or did to me as a form of punishment for my screw up.

The fruit loop gave a disappointed sigh before easing into the spot next to me on the bench. Great. He wasn't going to beat me up. Instead, I was going to get the threatening lecture. Disgust made it's mark on my face as I glowered ahead at the passing crowd.

"You want to talk about it?" Vlad asked me, voice light. It almost sounded fatherly, but it was missing the touch of warm kindness. It was close, but no.

"Not yet," I muttered in a grumble without looking back at him. I could feel his eyes on the back of my neck. My high strung emotions weren't ready to meet that stare.

"You have a minute," Vlad said, the smugness oozing out of his voice.

I could have punched his lights out.

A/N: Poor Danny is surrounded by loonies. I'd be depressed too. I was greatly depressed with my aunt until I made an escape plan for Canada in two months or less. Also, there was a few days in there that my sanity slipped. Maybe that's why Danny's feelings seemed natural to come up with in this chapter. ha ha! Um...I'm not kidding.

Oh, and koi fish aren't naturally that curious, just so you know. They are pretty shy creatures...and they like jumping...very high and very far. Learned that the hard way. Ah, the things you learn while working for Petsmart. Fun.

I'll be back with another chapter in two weeks. I promise I won't spring another week delay like this one again on you guys. I'm really sorry for it, but it had to be done to get caught up with beta reading from backed up weeks with the fruit loop. Only a few more chapters left of this fic. The plot will come into full swing next chapter and hopefully it will bring in some well needed action. Yay action! I'm gonna try to respond to reviews this week and I'll see you guys with a new chapter in two weeks! Have fun till then!


	19. Chapter 19 A Superhero's Job

A/N: Wow. Long week. I was half asleep the entire time due to opening each day at work. It wouldn't be a problem if fruit loop wasn't so loud each night. I can't get to sleep these days until like midnight. Sucks. Oh well. This chapter is awesome! Lots of action is coming your way. Have fun reading!

Disclaimer: Nope. I don't own Danny Phantom.

Chapter 19 A Superhero's Job

"I'm tired," I started. As a bus full of people grumbled loudly by on the clogged street ahead, I thought the sentence was simple enough to begin the big debate that was sure to come between us. My eyes traveled with the large vehicle as it inched down the street with the regular swarm of cars and people.

"I know you're sleepy, Daniel," Vlad said critically. "But that gives you no excuse to-."

My face scrunched up in aggravation before I whirled around to stare at the man, cutting him off in mid sentence. "No," I said in a snarl. "I'm not talking about any stupid bodily function. I'm talking about my emotional state of mind. I'm sick of you screwing with it."

"That's pretty obvious," Vlad stated with a humorless laugh, rolling his eyes. "You were pathetically deplorable with Katsumi back there. You hardly listened to a word we said."

"Because of you!" I shouted back. Vlad didn't react as I continued in a rush, "I'm going crazy juggling you and your lies, this golem ordeal, and all this other...crap!" With a shaky sigh, I returned my gaze to my shoes and sidewalk below. I shouldn't have been talking so openly with Vlad. It was unwise of me to spout out so many things, but my slipping mind somehow needed this release.

"I never told you this would be easy," Vlad said, a smile in his voice.

"Well, duh," I stated. My voice hesitated in regret before saying softly, "Nothing in my life is easy."

"You're a kid," Vlad chuckled in disbelief. "It can't be _that_ hard."

"Not when you're main priority is cleaning a city full of ghosts," I said. "Your parents are ghost freaks and most of the junk in their basement would rip you to shreds. You're failing practically each subject in school 'cause ghosts have no concept of school hours. And you have some evil, psychotic ghost out to change you into some clone of himself and takes you across the country to turn you into a crazy person.

"My parents hardly trust me because I lie to them so much about my powers," I continued raggedly. "All my teachers think I'm some half-wit, lazy kid who comes to school to sleep. I'd pay attention if only I hadn't spent the night keeping the town safe and ghost free. I don't _ever_ get appreciated. I bust my butt for these people, and I've never even had a pat on the back. I-It's discouraging."

"Well," Vlad said thoughtfully, "The only solution to that problem is to take advice from that evil genius you know so well and throw away that silly superhero cape of yours. It would do your mind some good." He paused before saying more seriously, "Even if it was just a week, it might give you a better perspective."

A smile made its way to my lips. Chuckling, I said, "Not a chance, fruit loop."

"And why not?" Vlad asked, interested in hearing my answer.

It took me a few seconds to come up with a truthful response. "Maybe I just see everyone as being equal somehow," I said. A kind of hope had filtered into my voice, and I felt my depression lighten, if just a little. "There's no difference in my eyes if I save a thief from getting shot to death or a little, old lady. They're both human. They're both like me."

"You're only half human," Vlad said. There was a sly, malignant hint to his voice as he leaned toward me. He was trying to stray me off course. But he'd have no luck there. I was a stone in these beliefs of mine.

"My superhero policy applies to ghosts too," I said, giving the man a small, obnoxious smirk. "I've helped plenty of ghosts out in the past. The fox spirit is one of them. Not all ghosts are evil hearted like you, Vlad." When he didn't respond, I went on and said, "Even though I don't get much credit for the things I do, I know each day that what I'm doing is right. I have no regrets."

"Your morals are rather adorable, Daniel, but one day you'll grow up and see the world as it really is. It will be then when you throw away all that you believed in," Vlad said as if it was all factual information I needed to hear.

"Yeah, sure," I said sarcastically. "I'll get back to you on my superhero status when I'm thirty. That's when you grow up, right?"

"I tried," Vlad sighed. A contented smile stuck itself to his face as he expressed a lighthearted shrug. He was not in the least bit disturbed by my refusal. The man was definitely saving me for later. It was evident in his calculating stare that created an uneasy shiver to lightly touch my spine. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close before telling me, "Your persistence only makes you more desirable. It is an admirable quality in someone your age."

"Thanks," I said dryly.

We sat like that for a few minutes. It was weird how normal it felt now to have him sitting so close to me, and I having nothing in my power to push him away. Shrugging off his hand on my shoulder, I leaned forward to stare down at the sidewalk again. My red shoes made a harsh contrast with the dreary, gray surface of urbanism.

"There has to be a better way to get rid of the golem," I said finally, provoking the calm pause between us adversaries to shatter.

"Oh, this again," Vlad said in something close to a groan. The tone told me he was completely fed up with the discussion of the subject. "Face it, boy, the only way to kill the golem is to kill the master. There is nothing more we can do."

"If I've learned anything at all from you this week of torture, it is to use my brain," I shot back. My eyes caught his, and I didn't back down on my stare as I continued. "And I don't know about you, but I see killing the master as a reckless plan. There has to be something you or somebody else overlooked."

"And If I've learned anything from you, Daniel, it's that adolescents can be incredibly stubborn and dense," Vlad grumbled. He returned his gaze to the light traffic with a slightly irritated sigh. "Either you're more naive than I first believed you were, or that fox spirit told you something you're hiding from me. I don't know which one I prefer at this moment."

"I'm not naive," I muttered. The frown on my face deepened at the notion. All too late, I realized it had been the wrong thing to say. My nervous eyes stole a quick glimpse of Vlad over my shoulder. He was watching me with a cocked eyebrow of interest.

"Go on," Vlad demanded, lightly placing his hand on my shoulder. My skin squirmed under the touch. Crap. Here came the painful part of the conversation.

"I was just-." My sentence was terminated when I tried to stifle a gasp of pain as Vlad gripped my shoulder in a cruel lock of domination. There was no way getting around it. Vlad knew the spirit had told me something useful. My only option was my stubbornness. Gritting my teeth, I said, "I'm not telling you anything, Vlad."

It was a surprise to me when his grip softened all of the sudden. Eyebrows raising into my forehead, I looked at the hand then up at Vlad. His face was stuck in a pensive, concerned scowl. "What?" I asked, confused.

"Do you feel that?" Vlad asked, standing up from the bench. I remained sitting, watching as the man looked down both streets in bemusement. What had gotten him so riled up? I'd never seen him like this. It was odd. Should I be concerned or enjoying this?

"If it's like a ghost sense, then no," I said, keeping the curiosity out of my voice. "This dumb watch of yours makes me as helpless as a human." I pointed to the watch to clarify the annoyed sentence. Vlad glanced down at me, not amused. It was at this time that I brought out the knowing smirk he had come to know and hate. I did it just to push him out of being bothered and into the great domain of aggravation.

"It's not ghost related," Vlad said slowly. He was probably thinking too hard to say anything. I wondered if that was a good or bad thing as I leaned my head over the edge of the back of the bench to look behind us upside down. My head stopped halfway, freezing in fear and shock.

Standing on the edge of the roof of the sky scraper behind us, the golem glowered down at the street. Like before, it was hard to focus on it. The only reason why I had spotted it was because I'd glimpsed at it while moving. It was easier to catch it at the corner of your eye, but looking at it straight on could throw your mind into a throbbing headache.

"Vlad!" I shouted in alarm, fear making its way into my voice as I leapt out of my seat.

Hearing his name and the tone it was spoken in, Vlad spun quickly around to face me. I was already out of the bench and at his protective side. He didn't have to ask what it was. He followed my gaze. I knew he had his sights on the golem when I heard the man swear under his breath. We were in for some deep trouble.

"Give me my ghost powers!" I demanded, shoving the watch in the man's face.

"No," Vlad said sternly. "Being a ghost while so close to this golem is incredibly dangerous!" He threw my hand aside and looked back up at the golem.

"Why's it just standing there?" I asked. My answer came when I glanced up at Vlad. He was frozen stiff. Swallowing a lump of fear, I realized that he was captured in the golem's gaze.

"Vlad!" I yelled, waving a hand into his vision.

Gasping a little, Vlad was pulled out of his death stare and looked down at me, a little shocked and frustrated at his brief show of weakness. He put a hand to his head, saying, "That thing is stronger than I first imagined."

"Yeah, and it's kinda firing at us!" I shouted, pointing. Vlad quickly created a ghost shield with a wave of his hand. As soon as it appeared, he looked up and through it. The action was confusing at first, but when he was able to stare at the golem without troubles, I understood how genius it was. The shield somehow blocked the deathly stare of the golem.

The golem gave a heart stopping cry of anger, making its bold presence well known to the public. Just as the first frightened scream pierced the air, the golem opened it's fiery mouth, and a tiny ball of orange torpedoed down at us. Halfway between the golem and Vlad and I, the ball erupted in a new, enormous explosion of sound and fire.

Thankfully, Vlad was there to serve as bodyguard once again. He grabbed me by the shoulder, pulled me so I stood behind him, and held his palm out at the incoming blast. The heat wave slammed hard against Vlad's ghost shield. The force ripped right through the strong, pink forcefield.

With the protection gone, Vlad and I were open to attack. Black smoke and massive waves of intense heat broke through the shield. I crouched close to the sidewalk, hands over my head as if they were gonna keep me safe. Vlad's body kept me mostly out of harms way, though.

Thick smoke filled my lungs. Coughing, it reminded me of my dream the fox spirit had shown me only days before. Panic crawled itself into my chest from my stomach. I desperately pushed the feeling away by placing my palms on the warm, coarse sidewalk and forcing myself to breath. I had to pull myself together if I wanted to survive this encounter with the golem.

The stiff groan of pain from behind me made me look over my shoulder at Vlad. He stood over me, holding his wounded side with one arm. A trickle of fresh, crimson blood leaked from the cracks of his fingers. The agony was in his eyes. The guy was seriously hurt. This wasn't good.

"Let me go ghost," I said in a rush. "Before the golem does another one of his exploding thingies!"

"Your weak ecto shields wouldn't stand a chance up against one of those explosions," Vlad said, voice calm and controlled.

"Look! You're hurt! You're not gonna last two more seconds with that golem," I argued. My watch was imposed close to his face. Vlad wasn't stupid. He knew he needed me now. I just hoped I could pull through.

There was a pause as Vlad thought over the possibilities. His heavy gaze snapped back to me before he said, "Hold still." With his free hand, the man grabbed my wrist with the watch and pulled me toward him. I complied with a nod.

_BOOM!_

The ground rumbled and vibrated under our feet suddenly. A scream ripped out of my throat as the sidewalk turned into an ocean wave. Concrete had turned to liquid. It dangerously rippled outward, damaging everything it touched. Vlad and I went down. More screams sprung up from the innocent bystanders. Vehicles were thrown like toys to their backs. Suddenly, the street was in mass chaos.

"Get up!" Vlad hissed down at me as he managed to struggle to his feet. I glanced up at his dire expression and scrambled to his side from where I was sitting on a very sore butt. Through the new cloud of dust that hovered in the air from the destruction and crumbling of pavement, I saw the golem glaring at me from the indent it had created in the sidewalk from jumping off the building.

"Move, Danny!" Masters shouted above the cries of agony and confusion that seemed to swarm my consciousness. The harsh tone in his voice spurred me to obey. I turned toward him and began to run. He was slower because of his wound, but adrenaline helped us as we sprinted side by side down the street.

"Can you run and work at the same time?" I asked while giving him my arm.

"Of course," Vlad said. He feverishly spun the watch face around as he asked, "Is it following us?"

I threw my head over my shoulder for a quick look. "Crap!" I shouted. "It is!"

"That means it was ordered to attack us this time," Vlad said. "It's not going to stop until it gets what it wants. Nothing you can do will damage the golem. Even if you were in ghost form, you're useless against this thing."

"Wow, you're pessimistic!" I said. Vlad shot me a flabbergast kind of look before doing the final touches on the watch. We had slowed way down since our beginning sprint. It was more like a jog now, and I could hear the rumbles of broken pavement as the golem pursued its targets.

When the giant footfalls paused, I looked back, expecting anything. The golem's mouth was open, ready to fire another round at us. Without warning, I grabbed Vlad by his forearm and yanked him with me as I dove behind a parked car. It was just in time. The second my back leaned against the cool metal, a loud explosion consumed the air. Cringing, I covered my head again as the effects of the eruption pummeled into the car.

My ears rung as if I was in the middle of a horrible practice session with a bell choir. Sweat had gathered all over me from all those heat waves, making soot stick to my clothes and face. I felt a little ruffled up, but I was ready for some action.

It was hero time.

"Going ghost!" I yelled. I threw my hand up before bringing it down on the watch face. The pins and needles sensation rushed through me. Instantly, I brought my cold core to the surface. An inane grin had somehow crept to my face as the familiar white rings transformed my body.

"What is your plan?" Vlad asked me with a small grimace.

"None," I said, smirking. "I'll improvise. I'm usually good at that."

"This isn't some easy ghost you can simply suck into one of your ridiculous thermoses, Daniel," Vlad lectured me. "You need a plan before you just go out there and fight that thing."

"Sure," I said with fake cheer. "I'll be happy to do that when we have a few extra minutes to hash one out, alright?" My green eyes rolled. Slapping on my customary confidence, I told the man, "Just let me fly around and do my thing. I'll be fine."

"You're going to get yourself killed," Vlad stated. His voice gave no emotion away as to if he enjoyed that notion or was worried for my safety. Either way, his words went in one ear and out the other.

"Then you can say 'I told you so'," I said, grinning brightly.

"Daniel."

"_What_?" I drew the word out, making it sound impatient, which I was at this point.

"Be careful," he said simply. His eyes regarded me with little emotion. The small amount of feeling I did see was concern. He might not have cared for anyone in the this world except for himself, but that stare proved me wrong. He did care for one other person. And it was me. It not might have been a loving or warm kind of concern, but he would care if I died. It was weird to see that in someone who I'd thought to be so heartless.

The laugh bubbled out of me. "Looks like Vladdy has a soft side," I said, relishing on the obstinate frown he presented me after these words. My mouth opened to tease him more, when all of the sudden the car we were hiding behind was lifted straight into the air, and the mind numbing roar of the golem hit us full force.

My hand threw up an ectoplasm shield above Vlad and I. With wide eyes of surprise, I watched as the golem threw the car back down on us. The strong hunk of metal smashed into my shield, making me wince and my powers strain under the heavy force.

In a burst of energy, I flew forward, grabbed Vlad by a shoulder, and dove into the pavement. I flew under the golem and burst back out behind it. As it turned to attack us, I put on the speed, shooting up into the air like a rocket with a mission. I picked the tallest building I could find and deposited Vlad there.

"What the hell are you doing?" Vlad snapped at me. He gave a wince and held his bleeding side harder. I'd made a mistake by moving him so recklessly.

"Sit here like a good, wounded soldier and watch the superhero do his job," I said.

I didn't stick around to hear his response. With a blast of power, I was flying away from the man so as to do my thing without his nagging. Using an idea that had came to me when I saw Vlad use his ghost shield to block the golem's death stare, I put my palms on my temples and formed a small, rounded ghost shield around my head where my eyes were. When I looked down at the golem, I had no problem with its glowering, indifferent stare.

"Alright, Phantom," I told myself, "So far, so good." I hovered there over the rock monster as my brain went to work on some sort of strategy. "Guess I should just experiment with this thing until I find a weakness."

My palm flamed with ectoplasm power as I let the energy flow through me. "Test number one: ectoplasm blast," I said, simultaneously aiming that palm at the roaring target below me. The energy built at a steady, rapid pace. The fire consumed my entire arm as I expertly manipulated the power. "Here it goes."

In a brilliant flash of green light, I released the ectoplasm with a short battle cry. The blazing ball of energy careened at a relentless speed at my target. The golem didn't even try to move. It watched the attack come and raised its hand toward the incoming missile. Fear flooded through me when I saw this happening.

The golem caught the ball of ectoplasm with hardly a grunt or effort. The ectoplasm slowly faded into the golem's palm, as if it was draining all the energy like what a gutter does to excess rain water.

My teeth gritted together when I felt my powers weaken with the extraction. A wave of dizziness hit me. For a second I could have sworn I'd been hit by a truck or something. Gasping for each ragged breath, I watched dispassionately as the golem relinquished the rest of the energy in my attack and paused to look back up at me. It was ready for round two.

"Well," I panted, "Test one was a major failure. Crap. I feel weak."

When I didn't right away come at the golem, the moving rock statue from hell decided it was its turn to do some damage. It opened its mouth and shot out one of its orange balls of destruction once again. My eyes widened when I saw this all unfold. There was no more time to hold back. I had to think fast.

"Test two: ice powers!" I screamed in panic. My palms shot out at the incoming object as I hastily tapped into the temperamental, cold side of my ghostly energy. The impulsiveness of it all made the control weaken, but that's exactly what I needed at the moment.

A line of pure ice shot out of both my glowing blue hands and met the ball of fire before it even exploded. Using as much control as I was able in the circumstances, I formed the ice to expand and harden around the captured ball. When the thing erupted, the ice it was incased in diffused most of the blast. Instead of fire, a shower of melted ice sprinkled like rain to the destroyed street.

The golem let out an angry roar of pure disgruntlement. It was very pissed that I had somehow turned his fire show into a sprinkler system. It had a little tantrum, walking around and stomping madly. It was almost comical. I'd be laughing if I wasn't so wasted.

"Test two: success," I muttered with a measly, small smile. "But I'm gonna have to do better than that to hurt this guy." My eyes scanned the area below as I tried to quickly catch my breath. I didn't want to physically hit the golem. I'd probably get sucked up into its vacuum thing 'cause it somehow liked to do that with ghost energy. So hitting it head on was potentially deadly.

An idea hit me. Grinning, I went with it by directing my body into a dive and blasting toward the street. I pulled up seconds away from hitting the pavement and threw on the brakes. Landing lightly on my feet, I grabbed the bumper of a parked car with both hands and heaved it over my head with a grunt of exertion.

"I'm not usually for the destroying of other people's property, but this is for the good of the general public," I said cheerfully. With the red Bug BMW in hand, I turned toward the golem and gave it a sly, vindictive smile. Like it was batting practice, I threw the vehicle over my shoulder and shot toward the rock Hulk.

Just as I swung the car into the golem, I yelled, "Red punch buggy!"

_Wham!_

The golem was lifted right off its thick, tree trunk wide feet with the hit. My muscles burned from the strain of impact, but it was a good, righteous burn that made that smile of mine widen. Like a boxer knocked out from the final jab from his opponent, the golem slammed, back first, into the pavement and made another rather large dent in the crumbling surface. I wasn't finished just yet. In my final surge of strength, I lifted the car above my head once more and plowed it down hard onto the enemy.

"No punch backs," I chuckled through a pant when finished. Quite proud of myself, I landed a few yards away from the wreckage of twisted metal and rock. I brought an arm to my forehead and wiped away a heavy layer of perspiration and grit with a weary sigh.

Before I knew it, the car I had just decimated was coming back at me. Gasping, I flashed intangible and cringed as the hunk of metal phased through me and careened into a death roll down the street. My fearful eyes opened to see that I was going to be too slow to out maneuver this one.

The golem's giant hand wrapped around my chest and yanked me off my feet. The tight grip alone was painful, but that was nothing compared to the feeling of having my powers thrown violently into the process of being stripped forcefully from me. I remember an agonizing scream rip through my throat as all of my energy was ruthlessly withdrawn from my body and soul. The pain was unbearable. It overwhelmed every part of me till I felt myself gradually fading into nonexistence.

In my last effort for survival, I opened my squeezed shut eyes and glared down at the golem. The monster held me around the chest over its head. Its glowing eyes were cold and emotionless as it did its job to terminate me. My pathetic disposition wasn't gonna stir up any amount of pity from this heartless creature.

Fighting desperately for my life like an animal cornered in the wild, I dangerously brought my full ice power to play. The action of losing complete control was instant. The cool energy exploded out of me in a bright flash of white light. The second it happened, the pain stopped.

I collapsed into the cold hand of the golem, shivering and whimpering in complete suffering. Slowly, as my strength returned bit by bit, I inspected the damage I had done to the golem. It was a rock monster no more. In its place was a massive ice sculpture.

"That was too close," I whispered dejectedly to myself.

With enough wiggling, I managed to struggle my way out of the frozen grip of the golem and pry myself loose. Half way to my freedom, one of the golem's fingers broke off, and I came tumbling to the ground. The hard earth welcomed me with a stiff, harsh landing. Wincing, I stayed in the position on my side which I had landed in and sat there as my strength came back at a snail's pace.

The low rumbling of rock alerted me to look up. Groaning, I turned my head to look up over my shoulder. What I saw was the golem steadily warming up the ice I had frozen it in. The melting ice was cracking, etching frosty patterns on the breaking surface. Sooner than later that thing was going to break free.

I wasn't going to stick around to be there when that happened.

My brain forced my body to get up. With much struggling and a few choice, stressful words, I was on my feet and backing away from the golem icicle. I watched as the golem broke through the ice with a bellow of furious rage. The tingling of glass accompanied the burst and fallen pieces of ice as they glittered to the ground. Just as the angry creature narrowed its eyes on me, I returned my ghost shield that protected my eyes around my head.

"What?" I asked it with a half smile. "You don't like ice? For being made out of elements, I thought you'd like a little frozen water." I paused as a thought hit me from my own words. "Wait," I said, eyes going wide in revelation.

The golem gave a growl before lunging for me with an outstretched hand. I nimbly flew backwards a few feet to avoid its deadly touch. The snarl got louder when the golem continued to try and capture me. I deftly evaded each attempt by flying just out of its reach.

"So if you don't like ice," I was saying with each dodge, "Then you must hate water as well." A smile sprung to my face. "It's at least worth a try. And since I'm running out energy at a frighting rate, I'm up for anything."

I'd been focusing so much on my plan that I hardly saw the ball of orange exit the golem's mouth. This time I didn't have the energy to react as greatly as the first time. Instead, I threw a palm forward, poured as much strength as I could into the cold power, and flew backwards and away. My ice powers hardly did a number on the explosion. All it did was keep me from dying.

The rush of heat broke through my shield of ice, scorching my skin and throwing me backwards into an uncontrollable landing. My brief yelp of fear and pain was cut short when I landed roughly on my back and spun into a violet roll across the rugged pavement. After yards of hurt, my body lost momentum and came to a sluggish stop.

A grunt of unadulterated discomfort was the first thing that came out of me. Just opening my eyes hurt. The warm pavement underneath me only made all my bleeding scratches and burns throb in agony. It took some time and hard work to focus my bleary vision.

The pavement vibrated as the golem walked casually toward its fallen victim. Thoroughly weakened and beaten down, I still forced myself to my hands and knees. It took everything in me to keep my ghost form. I'd pass out if I was human, and that would cost me my life.

I was at a large crossing section in the city. Cars were backed up on all four converging streets. People screamed frantically as they fled the area. Some of the more bold or stupid ones crouched behind the motionless vehicles and watched the scene unfold with morbid curiosity.

My eyes rested on something stationed at the corner of one block. Idea forming, I snapped my head the opposite direction and saw the same thing. It was just what I needed.

"Alright, rocky," I mumbled lethargically. "I'm not too fond of being treated like a punching bag. That's Vlad job. Not yours." Wincing with the effort, I got to my unsteady feet and stood tall. "Let's finish this."

The golem picked up his speed as it turned its walk into a full tilt run. The earth shook and wobbled with each pounding footfall. I stood where I was with head held high as I waited for the right second to carry my plan into action. It had to be timed just right for it to work correctly.

Onlookers started to tense up. I could feel the anxious air strain each passing second I didn't move from my spot. Some even shouted warnings in Japanese at me. My mind ignored them. It focused solely on the golem.

Just as the hunk of rock was close enough to hurt me, it threw a fist into the air for a defining, knock out punch. It was at that second I turned intangible and dove backwards into the pavement. I phased through the earth until jumping up out of the sidewalk at the corner of two streets beside a fire hydrant.

"Let's give you a bath," I grumbled while curling my fingers around the cap of the fire hydrant. I used my ghost strength to yank off the opening. Water shot out of the mouth of the hydrant, the jet spray reaching the golem and slamming into its bulky surface. The golem gave a gargled roar at the disturbance.

I sprung into the air and flew over the golem. Before it was able to move out of the line of water from the first hydrant, I landed at the other side of the crosswalk and kicked open the cap of the second hydrant. Like the first, this hydrant exploded with a massive spray of water. It hit the golem from behind. The ear piercing scream of rage that hit my ears created an evil smirk on my lips. I knew from that moment on that I had finally done something right.

The golem soon began to degenerate. Mud cascaded off the caught rock monster. The thick sludge was washed down the drain with the water from the two hydrants. Finally, the entire golem had turned to mud and was drifting somewhere along the sewers under the city. Water still gushed from the hydrants, but it didn't make much of an impact now that the threat was gone.

Although gone, the golem wasn't dead. I think I would have known or felt it if the golem had died or ceased to be. It was just taking a detour at the second. Later on, it'd come back for revenge. I knew I'd be seeing that thing again before my two days of staying here was up. That was a guarantee.

Seeing that my work was done, I did the only thing I could think of. I sat. A relieved, content sigh escaped me as I collapsed onto the sidewalk. My body was a wreck. Burns and bleeding scratches dotted the sweaty and dirty surface. It didn't matter, though. For an unknown reason, I was happy. My grin said it all.

"I think I'm just gonna rest here, if that's okay with you guys," I told the public that was crowding around me now. There was a low murmur of Japanese sounding in the area, but I hardly heard a thing. The large number present was only a distant thing in my mind.

"Nap time sounds great," I said, falling onto my back and closing my eyes. I hadn't felt this worn out after a battle in ages. Surprisingly, it felt good. "Wake me up in five minutes, okay?"

"Danny."

Gasping slightly, my eyes flew open. I stared into the upside face of a glaring Vlad Masters. He didn't look so happy for a guy who'd been rescued by a ghost eating golem. That didn't look good.

"Would you look at that," I said with quiet cheer, "I didn't get myself killed after all."

A/N: Well, this fight scene wasn't actually planned until a few weeks ago when I decided I desperately needed more action in this fic. Or maybe I just wanted to write things blowing up. Either way, the ending made me happy. This chapter was a fun one to write and well needed.

Anyways, when I update next, I'll probably be in Canada freezing my ass off. Jeez, I'm just glad I'll be getting away from the fruit loop. During the car ride there, I'll probably have time to type, so expect the chapter up on time in two weeks. I'll see you guys then!


	20. Chapter 20 Freedom Challenged

A/N: Alright. Sorry for the delay. Moving to another country can make anyone busy, I'm sure. Apologies aside, I want to say that I've enjoyed your reviews and I hope to be answering most of them in these last few chapters. Some have really steered me in the right direction and strengthened me as a writer. Now, to cut my rambling short, enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: Again, I don't own any Danny Phantom characters.

Chapter 20 Freedom Challenged

A large crowd of Japanese was pressing into a circle around Vlad and I. The murmur of the throng had turned from quiet intensity to a full fledged roar of interest. Even in my weakened state, I saw this as the problem that had put that deep frown on Vlad's face. Everyone wanted to see who the cocky American ghost superhero was. When the first flash of a camera went off, I decided it was time to disappear.

"Point taken," I told Vlad before phasing into the sidewalk as if submerging myself in water. The man's eyes rolled skyward at the comment, but he said nothing more as he watched me wave to my new fans before vanishing into the cement.

My body pushed through the bonds of reality one last time as I came up behind a parked car a few yards away from the surprised and alarmed crowd I had just left. Sighing, I glanced around to make sure the coast was clear. My eyes closed as I let the flash of white rings envelope me. The transformation left me breathless. The golem had really taken all the energy out of me. Even my pain killing medication for my wounded shoulder had seemed to have been zapped right out of me. The shoulder throbbed in constant agony.

The crowd was dispersing when I stood up from behind the car. Everyone was excitingly talking to others. With a wince, I realized the subject had to be about me. That wasn't good. I hadn't been dragged to Japan to become a celebrity.

"What on earth went on here?" The voice rattled me out of my apprehensive musing. It was Katsumi Tanaka's.

I turned around and saw Katsumi in Vlad's face. He stood like a stone, merely taking it all in, as she pointed animatedly to the dents in the road, the scorch marks on buildings, a disfigured car that was beyond repair, and the flood of water collecting on the stopped up intersection. Police sirens could be heard already in the distance. A massive crowd still stuck around to give their gossip stories to the authorities.

"There is a perfectly reasonable explanation, Katsumi," Vlad told her calmly. "But here is not the place to talk about it."

"Are you hurt?" Katsumi asked in astonishment. She also sounded angry. I didn't have the faintest idea why she would be. Before Vlad could answer, she whirled around as if mimicking a wind up toy. "Where's Danny?" she asked in a snap of words.

"Right here," I said from where I now stood at Vlad's side. She came to a rest finally. The sight of me put a relieved smile to her features.

"What happened here?" she asked me. "Why do you have so many scratches on your body? You look awful! Do you need to go to the hospital?"

I shook my head just as Vlad answered for me. "That won't be necessary," he said quickly. He gave me a swift, subtle glance before continuing. "It's nothing a few band aids can't handle. He'll be fine."

"What about you?" she asked the proud man with a sniff.

"I'll be fine as well," Vlad reassured her with a thin, forced smile. "Just get us home."

-Next Morning-

This wasn't good. Vlad and I had to get a plane heading for home in the small amount of time equalling a day. As great as that sounded, I felt like it would be like giving up. I needed to find this person the fox spirit told me about, bring out the golem again, and save the day in less than 24 hours. That wasn't enough time. Obviously. I'm Danny Phantom. Not Superman.

I didn't want to leave Tokyo with the problem still at large. That golem was seriously dangerous. The other day when I fought the thing was like my wake up call. The golem was going to destroy this place. If I hadn't been there to hit back, rocky would have dismantled that entire block in seconds.

Godzilla wasn't Tokyo's greatest monster problem anymore. This golem was.

But what was I going to do? How was I going to find this person in such little amount of time and destroy the golem? It seemed impossible. My mind poured through all the possibilities that morning at breakfast. Vlad was in the same contemplative state as I was in it seemed. He hadn't said a thing all morning.

Vlad sat beside me at the bar; him eating a traditional Japanese breakfast of soup, I absentmindedly shoving spoonfuls of cereal in my mouth, and Inazuma on the bar in front of me waiting to be given some sodden pieces of my meal when I remembered him. Vlad and I both stared at the kitchen without seeing it. The two of us were so absorbed in our thinking that we jumped when a newspaper was slapped down harshly onto the shiny, granite counter.

"Look at this," Katsumi fumed with her hands on her hips. Vlad glanced at her as I leaned over to obey her command. The newspaper sat between Vlad and I. My hand grabbed it first, and I quickly dragged it toward me before Vlad could confiscate it.

"Oh," was all I could say through my growing grimace.

Vlad didn't like my reaction. He viciously snatched the paper out of my hands and looked it over with a critical gaze. I watched him closely, trying to gauge his anger depth and pondering over the question to run or not. Would it be better to go now while I still had the chance? Or would an escape be futile at this point of the game?

"When were you going to tell me that your _son_ was a superhero?" Katsumi asked Vlad. Her voice was on the edge of being irate with the man. She turned toward him, cutting me off from the conversation entirely. It was as if my kitten and I weren't there anymore.

"You didn't have to know," Vlad said after a second for serious thought. He gently laid the paper down beside his bowl and waited for her response.

The front page of the paper had been one big picture. Of me. But not of good ol' Danny Fenton. It was a giant, black and white picture of full blown Danny Phantom fighting the blurry form of the attacking golem. Headlines in Japanese proclaimed the situation, but they had left my name the American way. It didn't take a genius to know what the top story was about.

"_I didn't have to know?_" Katsumi repeated. "You were supposed to come here and find out more about the golem. I told you specifically not to draw attention to yourselves. Now your son is the headline of the day! I have _had_ it, Vlad. Explain this to me right now, or you're out of a job."

"Danny," Vlad said stoically. I perked up in fearful interest. Inazuma did the same, his ears tall and face alert. Vlad didn't sound mad or pleased. I didn't know what to make of this situation. All I knew was that someone was in trouble, and it was probably all my fault. Goody.

"Yeah?" I asked reluctantly. Katsumi had turned to look at me when she was reminded that I was sitting there in the room. Her glower made me cower in my seat. Slowly, Zuma's ears lowered too, and he almost seemed to hunch over.

"Leave," Vlad said with a final sternness. He glared at me as I looked back and forth between the adults in a kind of shock. What was going on here? Was I in trouble? This was all very confusing. I slowly slipped off the stool, picked up Inazuma from the bar table, and walked over to the door of the garden. My last glance back at the two only drove me off more from their piercing scowls.

The door closed, and I whirled to face the bamboo surrounded garden with the release of a pent up sigh. Jeez, all this stress was going to kill me. I strode briskly away from the glass door to get far from the adults, as if determined to distance myself from their weird conflict. The stone in the middle of the zen garden presented to be my resting place once again.

I sat cross legged on the hard surface of the stone before setting my kitten down. The rock was cool to the touch because that morning the sun was hidden behind gray, depressing rain clouds. The fleeting thought of being rained on flittered through my head, but I decided I didn't care. Let it rain. Let it pour. My situation was hopeless. Nothing else could worsen it.

_Whack!_

"Ouch!" I yelped while bringing a hand to the back of my head. Hissing while it stung, I looked around for the culprit to my new pain. A scan of the garden didn't give me the answers I had wanted.

A confused meow pulled me out of my pained grumbling. I looked down and smiled at the kitten that was looking innocently up at me, blue eyes questioning. "The squirrels are restless," I assured him with a giggle. He was rubbing his face into my hand, desperate to be pet and paid attention to. His mass of lightning markings rippled each time my fingers ran through his fur.

_Whack!_

Again, I let out a small cry of pain as another fresh burn from a sting lit into the back of my head. This time I had to bite my bottom lip as I rubbed the sore spot. My glare peered into the garden. Inazuma took it upon himself to investigate this mystery as he leapt out of my lap and ran into some thick bushes behind me.

"Hey, get back here!" I called after him. "Those squirrels aren't nice animals." When the kitten decided to become deaf, I began to feel slightly worried and a little, admittedly, lonely. "Don't make me come after you," I threatened while getting to my feet. Still no answer. The bush was silent and nonmoving.

Fearing the worst for my companion, I sprung off my rock and landed in a crouch on the pathway by the zen garden. I rushed up to the tangle of leaves and branches that Zuma had gone through, but I pulled up in hesitation. My twinge of fear was pushed away. I shoved aside some branches and plowed into the bush in search for my cat.

A hand clamped down on my arm.

Screaming, I reacted solely on my surge of adrenaline. My hand grabbed the wrist of my attacker, and I pulled him toward me in a violent yank. The person let out a cry of pain when I twisted their arm behind their back, a technique well learned from Vlad.

It didn't go far when an elbow was whacked into the side of my head. I stumbled to the side with a sharp wince, head throbbing. My attacker's hand grabbed my shoulder, the wounded one. I rammed my other shoulder into his chest so hard that he toppled over with a grunt of pain. Quickly, before he could get back up, I jumped on top of him and flung a tight fist above my head for a punch I was sure was going to hurt.

I never executed the blow.

"S-Sam?" I whispered in complete and utter shock.

"Jeez, Danny! What the hell is wrong with you?" Sam growled her accusation from where she lay under me. She propped herself up on her elbows. Her ebony hair was messy with twigs and leaves stuck in obscure angles. Her violet eyes glared at me with an angry, weary fire in them. I hadn't noticed the cast on her wrist.

I was speechless. My mouth tried to say something by opening, and my brain searched for the words, but nothing managed to make its way out. How did she get to Japan? How did she know where I was? How had she gotten into this garden? Was this real? Had I finally snapped? This wasn't Sam, right? These were the questions that I had wanted to ask but was too dumbfounded to say.

Instead, I said this: "I was looking for my cat."

Sam's face didn't quite know what to do with that statement. For a split second I could see her get more angry with me, but it was gone in the blink of an eye. Compassion and a longing swept across her features before she broke out into a small, sad smile. "Oh, Danny," she said quietly, "Are you okay?"

I didn't answer. I just looked at her in fearful disbelief. I'd gone crazy, hadn't I? To cope, I'd come up with some make believe vision of my best friend. Sam wasn't really there. This was just some stupid figment of my imagination. This was bad. I had finally cracked. I had gone cra-.

Suddenly her arms were wrapped tightly around my neck. In my astonishment, I leaned backward and propped both of us up with my hands. Her hair smelled like earth and citrus shampoo like it always does. Her light, firm arms refused to let me go. My senses attacked me as they remembered every detail of my friend. How could I imagine this? It was way too real.

"I've missed you, Danny," she whispered into my ear in one last beg for me to snap out of my fog and step into reality. It did the trick. I had to bite back a surge of emotion as I threw my arms around her and hugged her back with a raw desperation I didn't know I had till then.

"You're really here, right?" I asked her with a weak chuckle.

We pulled away and held onto the other's arms to stare into each other's faces. She grinned at me before saying, "Duh, Danny. Where else would I be?"

"In New York City," I answered seriously.

"Well, yeah," she said with a guilty shrug. "But I used my emergency credit card from my parents to get me a flight to Japan. You had already told Tucker and I that you were staying at Miss Tanaka's place, so it was easy to find out where she lived. Just last night I snuck past the security guards and hid out in this garden. It was a coincidence that you were sitting on that rock when I woke up. Why are you looking at me that way?"

I was momentarily stunned by this question. My head shook rapidly to throw off the fragments of shock before I answered, "I-I was just worried about you. How's your wrist?"

"It's fine," she said with a lair's sniff. She retracted her arm with the cast and lightly rubbed the straps that bound her fractured wrist. "The hospital gave a fit when I checked myself out of there, though. But my Uncle Smith said I could leave, so they had to let me go. Who knew someone who'd I'd never seen could be so nice?"

"He probably didn't care that much about you if he hadn't even visited you in the hospital," I muttered my opinion. At least his carelessness helped Sam out in the end. When she didn't respond to my comment, I looked at her with curiosity. Her eyes were thoroughly scanning my face and body. "What?" I asked.

"You look awful," she said softly. Her fingertips grazed a rather large scab from a scratch on my forehead I'd received when fighting the golem the other day.

"Why does everyone seem to be telling me this these days?" I complained with a suffering sigh.

"Because it's true," Sam smiled. "Did Vlad do this to you?"

"Nah," I answered. "That was from the golem yesterday. Although that evil fruit loop did shoot me in the shoulder." I quickly flicked my head around to look behind me toward the door to the house as I said off handedly, "Speaking of which, I should probably take more of those pain killers. Wonder if the adults are done talking."

"He _shot_ you?" Sam practically screamed. The alarmed look I gave her quieted her a little as she hissed in a whisper, "Danny, that's a big deal! Why the heck did he shoot you? You should have ran away from him before that even happened."

"Not with my dad's life on the line, Sam," I shot back. "You know that. I don't gamble with any one of your lives."

"Then why are you still here?" she asked incredulously. She said it as if I was stupid for not taking off already, that she and Tucker didn't matter to me and I should just be selfish and leave. I thought she was smarter and nicer than this. It angered me to hear my friend talk this way to me. I'd suffered through days of torture for her and the others! Now she was telling me I was dumb for ever doing that for them.

"I'm still playing as Vlad's pet for you guys!" I argued, voice rising as my emotions did. "I've gone through all this for you, Sam, and Tucker and Jazz! The second I bolt, he'd have his spies killing you off or hurting you with the snap of his fingers. Don't you understand that?"

"Of course I do," Sam said, sounding highly offended. "But didn't Tucker or Jazz tell you? We took care of our spies. No one is looking after us. Vlad can't do anything to any of us."

Was she serious?

I gripped her arms hard as she told me these things. She gave a little gasp when I pulled her close to me so our faces were an inch apart. "Please don't tell me that you're joking," I urgently whispered. "Are you sure? Am I free?"

Sam had never seen me this intense before. And I'm sure my grip on her arms was kind of painful. Despite all this, she pulled off a timid smile and said, "Free as a bird, Danny."

A joy flew through me so suddenly that I just couldn't contain it. In my peak, I brought Sam close and laid a kiss right on her lips. She was too stunned to protest. Before she could get her head straight, I scrambled excitedly to my feet. An inane grin had permanently made its way to my face. I was freaking free!

Zuma had found his way over to us during our talk. I picked him up and plopped him in Sam's lap while saying in a rush of words, "Here, hold my cat. His name is Inazuma. I'll be back in a second. I gotta go get some things."

"Danny," she called after me. I paused and whirled around to smile brightly at her. She looked slightly confused and concerned while awkwardly holding a bewildered Zuma. "Do you have any idea what you're doing right now?" she asked with slow calmness.

"Um...," was my thoughtful answer.

She sighed with a warm yet impatient smile spilling over her features. "What's going on, Danny?" she asked me finally. "What are you doing?"

"I-I...well," I started but stopped to think it over. What was I doing? I was free from Vlad's hold. He couldn't tell me what to do or push me around anymore. It was an odd and frighteningly quick concept to get inside my mixed up head, but I was glad to wrap my mind around it.

I could so easily forget him and throw him out of my life completely by getting the next flight out of Tokyo and heading straight toward home with Sam at my side. That option was something fun to play out in my mind. The promise of my own bed and the company of friends and family who loved me was a nice thing to contemplate as something in my reach. For this entire week I'd seen it as some fantasy future. Now it was sitting on a silver platter, just a few plane rides away.

But I wasn't going to take it.

A grin gradually came upon my features as I thought things over. My eyes returned their connection with Sam's. "I'm saving Tokyo," I told her, mind well made up. When she didn't even open her mouth to argue but instead kept still, I turned back toward the house and walked at it with my mind swarming with ideas. Where was I going to start?

It took some constant mental reminding to wipe the smile off my face before entering the house. A quick sweep of the kitchen told me it was vacant. I snuck over to the cabinet and grabbed a large box of crackers. Sam had been her regular self and had camped out in the garden that night. I'm sure she was starving, and crackers looked innocent enough if I was caught.

And speaking of getting caught...

"What are you doing, Daniel?" I had turned around to be faced with the uncompromising chest of Vlad. My exit of the cabinet was strictly cut off now. My eyes darted up to meet his. They tried not to look guilty.

"Second breakfast," I said, opening the package of saltines like it was the most common thing to eat for brunch. I munched on a cracker and offered Vlad one, saying with mouth full, "Want one?"

"No," Vlad said flatly. He tried to look more threatening as he narrowed his eyes, folded his arms across his chest, and hardened his voice when stating, "You're acting rather suspicious."

"Really?" I asked sarcastically. "How so?"

Vlad played our game as he bent down to look me in the face. He smirked a little before asking smugly, "Where's your cat?"

"Peeing in Katsumi's zen garden," I answered bluntly. "He likes his privacy, so I came in here for a snack."

"Crackers?" Vlad asked incredulously. "That doesn't seem like a snack one your age craves."

"You gonna lecture me on my eating habits now?" I asked with the curl of my lip. "Then you're more of a fruit loop than I thought. Jeez, Vlad. You're paranoid. It's just freaking crackers."

Forcefully, I squeezed my way through a crack in his body barricade and headed for the open door to the garden, knowing that the man would follow. His quick footsteps behind me told me I was right. I'd only made it a few feet outside when he clamped down on my shoulder and yanked me to a sudden stop. He whirled me around and kept a threatening hand on my throbbing shoulder.

"What aren't you telling me, Daniel?" he growled the question with uncommon impatience. He was usually as calm as a the waters of a lake on a stagnant summer's day. What was up with him?

"What? You gonna torture it out of me?" I asked in a bold sneer. When his fingers dug into my shoulder in the beginnings of an intense pain, it was hastily decided my secret wasn't worth it anymore. "Ah, screw it!" I blurted out through a wince. "Your fruit loop disorder isn't curable. There! I said it! Happy now?"

"You're only wasting my time," Vlad exploded in a sigh while shoving me away. He folded his arms in front of his chest with the roll of his eyes. The thin, sulking frown on his lips gave me the hint that something wasn't right here.

"That's it?" I asked in surprise. "What's going on? You're acting weird, and that's saying a lot coming from me." Vlad watched me like a disinterested father as I continued to say, "Usually you like to play the mind game thing and act all smug and crap. Today you're all mean and direct. I mean, you're always mean, but its a different kind of mean. You-." I stopped very abruptly when I caught him smiling down at me. "What?"

"What makes you so jittery and happy today?" he asked sneakily. "You don't have a plan stashed away somewhere in that dim head of yours, do you, Daniel?"

"Do I?" I cleverly returned with a sly smile. I was tempted to tell him he didn't matter anymore, but he actually did matter in the long run. If I admitted that his spies were not doing their job and I was free from him, he could still beat me to a pulp and make sure I didn't get in his way that day. It would be wise for me to keep my freedom hidden from the man for now.

"Well, that's smart of you," Vlad mocked me smoothly. "Keep those cards close to your chest." He took out a small bottle from a pant pocket, grabbed my wrist, and firmly placed it in that palm. "Those are your new pain killers. Katsumi has work till late tonight. Now, I have things to finish here before we leave. It will only take me a few hours, so I'll be back by seven tonight. Be ready by then to leave for the airport."

"Where are you going? What are you doing?" I asked in alarm. "Wait. You aren't killing the master of the golem tonight, are you? Hey! No! Let me go, Vlad!"

The man was refusing to let my wrist go as he dragged me back inside the house. I dug my heels deep into the carpet, but that didn't slow him down for a single stride. My wounded shoulder gave me fits of pain every time I tried yanking my wrist free. It was no use. There was nothing I could do physically to slip out of Vlad's grip. That didn't dampen my views on struggling, though. I made his job very difficult to say the least. He had a nasty time getting me through the door to our room.

In the end, he managed to shove me into the room's bathroom. The kick in between the shoulder blades was a little unnecessary, but my tumble into the room gave him the time to slam the door shut behind me. As soon as some of my balance was restored, I came back at the closed door with my whole body.

"This is ridiculous, Vlad!" I shouted angrily after a short gasp of pain. Using your body as a battering ram wasn't something I advise anyone to do. I don't know how those people on TV do it. Hollywood lied to me once again.

"Not when I know the depths you will go to stop me," Vlad said joyfully from the other side of the door. "I'd advise you not to touch to door knob." As he said this, my hands were already curled around the knob, and it was rapidly growing in warmth. My hands released the object right before it seared the skin off. My swift movement was accompanied by a flabbergasted hiss of pain. The metal warped as if melted under the heat until it looked more like a funny icicle than a handle.

"The hell is wrong with you?" I yelled in my frustration. My fist pounded the door with all it's furious might. A small scream escaped me when the edges of the door began to melt. I sprung away from the door and watched in horror as Vlad sealed me into the bathroom as if I was doomed to die in some ancient Egyptian tomb. Despair hung on my chest.

What was I going to do now? Ironic how freedom was at the tip of my tongue not even five minutes ago. The universe had to hate me.

Sighing in defeat, I slumped against the door that wasn't really a door anymore because it was welded to the wall due to Vlad's ghost powers. It was quiet on the other side. I believed Vlad had left me to suffer in my makeshift prison.

"You're in there for your own good, Daniel," Vlad told me suddenly from the other side. He paused for a response I refused to give him. His hands came through the door by my head. In them were the box of crackers and my pain killers. He dropped them unceremoniously to the floor before saying, "I'll be back for you in a couple of hours. By then this mess will be taken care of and we can both go home. Understand?"

I glared at the door and said nothing.

"You're silence isn't very reassuring," Vlad commented. "I'll ask you one more time, boy. Do you understand?"

"Sure," I muttered with a surly attitude ebbing into my voice.

"If I don't find you in here when I get back, Danny, you will surely regret it," Vlad threatened me. I heard no more as I walked over to the toilet with my eyes still glaring daggers at the door. I hated that man! I have mentioned that, right?

Sitting, I grumbled curses inside my head. My fingers brushed over my watch keeping me in constant human form. I looked down at it in surprise suddenly. I can be an idiot sometimes.

Duh. Ghost powers.

I set to work on the combination of the watch with feverish turns on the clock face. Tucker had shown me how to do this days ago, and I was only lucky that I'd memorized it. Absentmindedly, my tongue stuck out of the side of my mouth as I spun and twisted the complicated puzzle.

At last, I was presented with the small victory of the code being broken. I was granted access into the depths of my genes, but with the small price of pain. My palm punched down on the watch face. Pins and needles rushed up my arm. I managed the familiar pain with the twinge of a wince.

"Let go!"

The scream made me jump in surprise, and my eyes darted toward the door where the loud noise had come from. I got to my feet just as Vlad Plasmius phased through the door with Sam kicking and protesting in tow. The man yanked her by her good wrist so she stood between us. His eyes bore into mine with an icy cold anger that shut down any thought of words from me.

"I found _this_ snooping around the corridor before leaving," Vlad growled at me. "No wonder you were so cheerful this morning. Pity it got you nowhere."

"Don't you dare hurt her!" I seethed.

"Or what?" Vlad laughed cruelly. "Seriously, boy, think before you make petty threats like that." He brought up a steady, glowing pink palm and aimed it at me. I'd just crossed my arms in front of my face for protection when the ball of ectoplasm hit me square in the chest. My body rocketed backward till it hit the wall. Cringing through the agony my limbs presented me, I slumped to the floor to recoup.

"Danny!" Sam screamed my name as she lunged toward me. Vlad held her steady with a look of feeble interest. All I saw was her blurry, troubled form reach out for me. She turned toward Plasmius and demanded, "Let me go, you creep!"

Plasmius was stone faced as he roughly threw the girl at me. Sam gave a small scream before landing on her hands and knees next to me. Simultaneously, we shot Vlad venomous looks of acute dislike. He seemed to enjoy the expressions as his trademark smirk returned to his lips.

"Don't look so distraught, Daniel," Plasmius chuckled. "I just gave you some company for the next few hours. I could have easily had locked her in some closet and left her to be found out by Miss Tanaka. I call that a rather nice gesture, don't you think?"

"You're anything but nice, Vlad," I grumbled as I forced sore muscles to support my legs. "I swear, we're not going to be here when you come back."

Vlad took a swift step forward and had my chin in his grip before I could avoid him. Grunting, I strained to pull my head free, but he was a lot stronger than me and kept me still. Sam stood off to the side, watching this all with the likes of a tense guard dog. As long as I was not getting hurt, she'd stay there. The second I showed a sign of pain, though, and she'd be on Vlad like a police dog with the go ahead of an officer.

"Was that a challenge, boy?" Vlad in a clear, pleased voice. His eyes connected with mine finally, and a chilling spike of fear and excitement slammed down my spine. A quick study of the man's face didn't give me a single hint as to what Vlad was thinking.

"Yeah," I retorted after a long pause for thought. I tried to keep the shakiness out of my voice as I added, "That was a challenge."

"Alright then," Vlad said with a short, mysterious chuckle. "I want you to destroy this golem before I kill its master. You have till sundown. Think you can handle that?" He grinned cockily down at me as he presented this new twist to his game to me and saw my face scrunch up in utter confusion.

It took me a second for my brain to process the information I'd been given, muster up some courage and confidence in myself, and smirk back, "You're on, V-man."

I soon choked on those words when Plasmius took a hold of my shoulder and kneed me in the stomach. The blow knocked all the air out of me, and I staggered back while bending over. Through my panic for air, I felt Sam rush to my side and heard the loud laugh of my enemy.

"And, Daniel," Vlad said more seriously now. Through my wheezing, I shot him a deathly scowl. "Don't disappoint me."

A/N: Well, a lot of things happened in this chapter, now that I've read it over and over again. Maybe that's why I'm a bit weary of it, but I had planned Sam to hop in this way from the start. I decided to go with my gut, whip up the speed of the fic, and throw Sam in. I hope it turned out well. I personally like the chapter, but who knows. Well, I'll see you guys in two weeks! Thanks for your reviews!


	21. Chapter 21 Competition

A/N: Sorry about the delay of this chapter. I needed it to be a little longer, and I got sick all last week, so I started off behind schedule. Didn't help that this chapter is mostly a filler one and I have a hard time getting through them. Well, on with the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters from the show.

Chapter 21 Competition

Gasping with perplexity and distaste, I watched Vlad vanish before my eyes. _Don't disappoint me._ What had that meant? Had he predicted this from me, or was he making this up just as spontaneously as I? He-this was getting ridiculous! I was suddenly furious over the frustration those three words caused me.

"Danny, are you alright?" Sam asked me the general question. She gently settled me onto the toilet seat so I could catch my breath. When I didn't answer her at first, she decided I was okay by her standards and asked, "What was that all about?"

"Hell if I knew," I snapped up at her. "The man's off his rocker."

Sam stood up, looking offended by my tactless tone. Her eyes glared down at me before she muttered with angry sarcasm, "Well, you're a big help."

"I'm not the one who just got themselves caught the two seconds they were here after flying halfway around the world. Real genius work back there, Sam," I retaliated rather nastily. I knew I was upset, but the words just couldn't be stopped. The second they slipped off my tongue, I regretted opening my mouth.

"What was I supposed to do, Danny?" Sam retorted. "I just watched as Vlad dragged you inside the house. I waited a few minutes before following. I thought Vlad was going to hurt you or something."

"News flash, Sam!" I shouted up at her. "I've been Vlad's special punching bag for an entire week! He shot me in the shoulder, for crying out loud! All because I refused to move out of the way of someone he wanted to kill. And you know what? He killed him anyways! Shot him in the head! You're too late, Sam! He's hurt me so many times now that I don't care anymore." My weary stare transferred to my shoes before I whispered, "What difference would it make if you saved me now?"

We didn't say anything for a long minute. My eyes were tempted to connect back with hers, but I refrained from moving them from their transfixed stare on my sneakers. The fear in me prevented me from moving at all. I was scared of how she was going to respond. A pit of regret yanked my stomach into a depression inside me as the silence precariously built up between us.

I so badly wanted her to say something. I wanted her to yell back at me for being so mean and selfish. What was wrong with me? Why was I pushing her away like this? This somber pause was killing me.

"I'm sorry," Sam said quietly. My head shot up, and our eyes met. Those violet orbs of hers were wet with emotion. The pit of guilt in my stomach churned into a twisted ball of inner suffering. Oh, I hoped she wouldn't cry!

"No, Sam. I -," I struggled to start the apology. Sam cut me off abruptly when she got down on her knees so we were face to face. She took my cold hands into her warm ones. The touch comforted me. It was nothing like Ran's and mine connection. This was natural. This is what I liked.

"Danny, I'm sorry that we weren't there for you," Sam told me calmly. She sighed with indignation. "Vlad did a really big head job on you. I didn't realize that could happen until we bumped into each other in the garden. But I'm here now. I'm your friend. You don't have to go this alone anymore."

Her words settled my agitated mood. I closed my eyes and gave a long sigh. Opening them, I pulled a weak smile to my lips and said, "Thanks."

"Does this mean you're ready to be nice?" Sam asked with well hidden smugness in her tight smile.

"Sorry," I said as my cheeks burned a tint of red. "I was a bit of a jerk."

"It's okay," Sam said. She threw her slender shoulders into a shrug. "I already guessed that Vlad was trying to train you to be his jerky pupil. I see some of his lessons have sunk into that thick head of yours." She rapped on my head here before saying, "Hopefully, you'll hop over to the good side again. We have cookies."

"Then that settles it," I said, grinning widely. "I'm a good guy again. You have found my weakness for the cookie. You fiend."

Sam giggled slightly. We were close. Very close. She hadn't realized this yet, but my thudding heart had already alerted me to our close proximity. I was disappointed when her eyes traveled quickly down to our hands. Her cheeks flushed a rosy pink as she disentangled her hands from mine and she stood up suddenly.

"Um...so what do we do now?" Sam asked after a pause of awkward silence.

"Heh, good question," I answered reluctantly. "First, we gotta get out of this bathroom. Then we gotta find that person with the power to destroy the golem. And the person has to agree to help us. That won't be easy. Then there's the problem of actually _finding_ the golem." I was not comforting myself. My head spun in millions of directions before I uttered under my breath, "Crap. I'm crazy."

"You're not crazy, Danny," Sam said with the roll of her eyes. "What's the problem?"

"I don't even know where to start!" I argued loudly. "I mean, I know how to get out of the bathroom, but how the hell am I gonna find this person? This is impossible!"

"Calm down," Sam said emotionlessly. She almost sounded tired of me. I couldn't really blame her. My scatter brained emotions were so instant, I could have been mistaken as a girl. (Sorry girls.) Good thing I had Sam here to remind me to pull myself together.

"Alright," I grumbled. "What makes you so even keel?"

Sam let herself express something of a knowing, taunting smile. She folded her arms in front of her, shot me a jaunty look, and revealed with hidden pleasure, "Those names you gave us to research have, let's say, enlightened me. I'll tell you what we're going to do in a minute. First we gotta get out of this bathroom."

"Right," I said. The hope in my voice couldn't be denied. Sam watched as I spun the watch face around on my wrist. The pain I knew that was ahead made me pause for a second before I pressed in the face.

My eyes were squeezed shut. A gasp of pain clogged in my throat. The sensation of knives tearing down the insides of my arm for one brief moment was almost unbearable. Then the pain ebbed graciously away. I blinked away the tears that had sprung to my eyes during the gene transformation. That had been particularly hard.

"You okay?" Sam asked tentatively, crouching a little to look me in the eyes.

"Fine," I said naturally. A good clearing shake the the head and a ghost metamorphosis later, and I was in the best kind of spirits than I'd ever been in since the beginning of my long journey to Japan. "Where to?" I asked Sam as I leapt to my feet excitedly.

"To that garden," Sam said. She seemed glad to see me so eager and happy. "My stuff is all there. And your...um cat is out there too. Why do you have a cat?"

"Long story," I answered while taking hold of her forearm and turning both of us intangible. The bonds of reality easily left the both of us as I pushed off the ground and floated there in mid air.

"Good. I like stories," Sam said. I glanced back down at her as I phased through the ceiling and pulled her along after me. She wore a smirk.

Succumbing to her curiosity, I retold the story of Vlad and I visiting Prague. She seemed interested in my recount of the two ghost hunters and my fight with one of them. My throat found it difficult to get the words out when I got to the part concerning Chan Man. The fresh memory of his death was a painted picture inside my head. Many times through the tale I had to clear my throat and plow ahead.

"I can't believe the cruelty of that man!" Sam huffed as I let her down on solid ground once again in the garden. I had just told her that Mr. Goldberg had put his computer chip inside Inazuma. Like I'd predicted, she was having one of her usual animal rights fits. I was personally glad to get off the subject of Chan Man.

"Yeah," I muttered off handedly to sooth her diatribe. She led me into the bushes where she had been hidden only a few minutes before. "Very cruel."

"Here we are!" Sam practically screamed. Her mood was still reflecting on her anger towards the horrible Mr. Goldberg. The girl, breathing hard, came to a halt where a bed of leaves was at our feet. A large open backpack laid off to the side. Extra clothes and a ghost gadget or two could be seen in the depths of the bag.

"Jeez, Sam. And you tell me to calm down," I said quietly.

"I _am_ calm!" she snarled back at me.

"Whatever you say," I muttered while rubbing the back of my neck in nervous habit. Better not argue with her when she went into this mood. It would be like poking an enraged lion with a very short stick. Yeah. Not smart. And although I don't consider myself someone with much gray matter, I still believe I've got enough common sense to let the girl go.

Sam gave a short sigh to settle her anger on the spot. She pushed some of her leaf infested hair behind her ears as she forced herself to remember what she was doing before saying anything. The story had gotten her flustered, but I could tell she was getting back to normal with each passing second.

"Okay, I made a visual for you on the plane ride here," Sam said. She kneeled down beside her backpack and started to empty it out on the leafy floor. Perplexed but willing to endure, I sat down beside her and waited suspiciously.

"A visual?" I questioned. "What am I? Five?"

"No," Sam said patiently behind her shoulder. "Just thought a family tree would help you to understand." She finally pulled out a worn and torn notebook and turned towards me as if drawing a meeting between us. Her fingers flipped through the crumpled pages until stopping at the one she liked. She folded it back, stared at it with critical eyes, then held it out for me to look at.

My eyes quickly scanned the tops of the family tree. I was halfway through it when the first surprise popped out at me. "Wait," I said in growing disbelief, "Mr. Izumi and Miss Tanaka are married?"

"_Were_ married," Sam corrected. "She divorced Izumi a year after having her first and only daughter. That would be Ran. Oh, it's all in front of you. Keep reading."

"Whoa! This is crazy! Why didn't Vlad tell me this?" I said. My hands found holds in my unwashed hair.

"I don't think he knows they were married," Sam said quietly. I stared at her until she said more. She brushed her hair back behind her ear again before leaning toward me and saying as if sharing a secret, "Miss Tanaka used to date Vlad, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," I said.

"Oh," Sam said, surprised. She leaned back, gave a peculiar face, and asked, "You do?"

"They told me they had dated in high school the first day I met Miss Tanaka," I said. "Not exactly an image that gets out of your head after a few days."

"I think she wanted to marry Vlad," Sam said thoughtfully. "She was going to move to the States for him. But then he got into college and evidently fell in love with...well...your mom. Kind of broke this Tanaka woman's heart. So she probably married Izumi to make Vlad jealous. But of course she never told him for some odd reason. Then she had Ran, and she saw her connection with Izumi physically manifest. Must have drove her off. So, she divorced him, gave him full custody of Ran, and took some small knowledge of his drug business with her to start out on her own."

"How do you know all this?" I asked incredulously. "Do girls really think this way?"

"You'd be surprised how stupidly complicated girls can be," Sam said dully.

"Yeah. No kidding," I muttered in unwanted astonishment. I shook my head and regarded the family tree in my hands once again. "So Toushiro is Katsumi's little brother. Why is he working for Izumi then?"

"Toushiro?" Sam asked with interest. "How do you know anything about him?"

"He...um...kind of kidnapped me," I said evasively. "But, he's not so...bad. I mean, he did torture me a little. At the end, though, he didn't shoot me. I call that a good quality in a person. And he's an awesome fighter. Took on Vlad single handedly. Cool, huh?"

"No wonder you've been acting so weird," Sam whispered after a wide eyed stare.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked offendedly.

"Kidnapped, tortured, kidnapped again, tortured again," Sam said with exasperation. She threw her hands up into the air. "That's enough to give anyone some brain damage."

"Goody," I grumbled sarcastically.

"You know what I mean, Danny," Sam said with a reproachful look.

My mouth opened to argue but then closed again. There was no point to fighting with the girl. Besides, she was right. Maybe after days of having to be on my toes and quick to defend myself, I had forgotten to agree with people. It was a good theory.

"What does this have to do with me finding the golem or the person who's gonna help us defeat it?" I asked finally. "I mean, sure, it's comforting to see that Ran's insane because she has a whacked up mother. But this has nothing to do with anything, Sam."

"How do you know someone's out there that could defeat the golem?" Sam asked.

"The fox spirit told me," I answered. My entire body seemed to jump right off the ground when Inazuma leapt nimbly right into my lap. He purred as I began to scratch him behind the ears.

"Then this spirit has to know that you've already come into contact with this person," Sam said after giving Zuma an absent smile. She adamantly pointed at the family tree now in my hands. "The only people you've met in Japan are listed here. One of these guys has to be the person the fox spirit was talking about."

"You've got a point," I said grudgingly. My mind mulled over the list of names. A light bulb blinked into life inside my head. The fox spirit had come to me the day after I'd met Toushiro. I hadn't even known about him until that night. He survived numerous attacks from Plasmius. Out of any human I've met, he had the most chance of destroying the golem. It had to be him!

"You know who it is," Sam said when she saw the light smile fall upon my features.

"Toushiro Tanaka," I said. "No doubt about it!"

"Good," Sam said, sounding pleased. She paused for thought. The smile dropped from her face. "How do we find him?" My smile copied hers now.

"Ran would know," I said while in deep thought. "Toushiro seemed to hint at that he was close to her." My eyes traveled over the names of his three kids and wife. Vlad had been right. He had a kid my age. It was amazing how the evil man had come to that conclusion so quickly back in the warehouse.

"But how do we find Ran?" Sam asked with waning hope in her sigh.

"Now that's an easy one," I said, a laugh in my voice. "Come on. We're going to the arcade."

-Few Minutes Later-

"He's sticking back out again, Danny," Sam whispered into my ear. "Why couldn't we leave your cat behind? He liked the garden."

"He's been cooped up for days, Sam," I said while quickly shoving Zuma back down my hoodie. He gave a pleading mew before complying. His fuzzy head returned to the stuffy folds of fabric. "He's really interested in the noise and lights of the arcade, that's all. Once we're through here, he'll calm down."

We were inside the arcade now. I'd changed back into human form in an alley outside before coming in with Sam. What was odd was the part that I got as much stares here as if I was still an apparition. Sam got just as much or more than I. She ignored the dark eyes of the Japanese boys as if they were all part of the whirl of sounds and flash of bold, vibrant lights.

Sam gave me a side ways curious look. I threw her back one of obvious question. Pushing us through a tangle of players, Sam smiled and said, "Never thought you'd be a sucker for cute animals. That's supposed to be my thing remember?"

"He's not that cute," I objected with a lie.

"Oh, sure," Sam retorted. Her eyes slipped away from mine and settled on something next to my head. I looked over to see that Zuma had crawled up my shoulder again and was poking his head precariously out of the neck of my hoodie. His blue eyes were wide with innocent wonder. It was was, to be frank, really cute.

"Alright, he's cute," I admitted. Grinning, I shoved the kitten back down my sweatshirt and plowed through a throng of boys cheering on players at one popular gaming station. "But that's not why I'm attached. It's...uh...more than that."

"Really?" Sam asked with sudden serious interest.

I didn't meet her eyes. My reasons for liking Zuma so much were my own. I thought it would be stupid if I admitted I favored him because he reminded me of myself and I wanted to the savour I never had. In the back of my mind, I found the thing childish and somewhat selfish. It wasn't something I wanted to share.

Sam caught on that I wasn't going to say any more about it. A mysterious, sad smile flickered across her features. "That's pretty cool of you, Danny," she finally said in a quiet voice. I tried to smile back.

A massive crowd of teens and kids became a blockade to us. They were all cheering loudly for two competitors. The sheer noise was like going to a concert. I grabbed onto Sam's wrist before plunging into the ocean of bodies. Geek sweat from intensive game play pelted us from all sides as we squeezed through the throng. Somehow I knew what would meet us on the other side.

I brought Sam close to the front just as one of the gamers won. The crowd either cheered for the victory or booed in their disappointment in choosing the wrong champion. The loser slouched off in ultimate defeat.

Poor guy. I knew exactly who he had lost to. Ran Izumi.

"Give me another one!" Ran taunted the crowd of fans and haters in Japanese and English, just like before. She stood on a raised platform with colorful panels with arrows dotting the surface. A hand was placed on her hip. The scowl on her unsmiling face demanded for some competition. Her dark eyes held a certain pain in them. This wasn't the Ran I'd first met in this arcade. What had happened?

Today she dressed in a school uniform. She wore a cute plaid skirt she had altered to look freakishly short. Her white blouse sleeves were rolled up from whatever effort the game put her through. The rest of the school's dress code which included a yellow sweater vest, knee socks, and shoes were on the floor by the platform. She had kept the navy blue tie. It hung askew around her slim neck. Her long, black locks were all pushed up into a hasty ponytail. She hadn't spent a lot of time on her appearance that day.

"Come on!" Ran snapped at her crowd. "I'll crush every one of you losers!"

"Is she always like this?" Sam asked me. She looked disturbed at the sight of the girl.

"Not usually this intense," I said. I winced when she pulled out a cigarette, shoved it in her mouth, and lighted it with shaky hands. I had really wished that the destruction of her Hello Kitty lighter would deter her from the bad habit. Guess not.

"Don't make me force another one of you geeks to play," Ran spat after a long, desperate drag of her cigarette.

"I'll play you!" Sam shouted suddenly.

"Wait! Sam! Don't -," I hissed uselessly. She was already pushing some boys out of her way and crawling to the front but not before giving me a playful wink. I hoped she knew what she was doing.

When Ran saw Sam step up onto the second platform, she looked taken aback for a split second. No one would have noticed. I did because I knew her well enough. Something about Sam bothered her. The question of why came to me soon later.

"Seems like the Americans like popping up on me this week," Ran grumbled as she flicked her cigarette stub away. "Hopefully you won't screw up my life like the last one." The deathly look she shot Sam could have killed someone without prior experience, but Sam merely looked bored when receiving it.

Did Ran feel guilty for tricking me and helping her father in my kidnap? Had she really liked me that much? Why would she? I was the typical loser for a girl like her. That was even my nickname. Loser! That didn't sound like true love to me.

But maybe I was wrong. Maybe she had actually liked me because I was the first guy to not like her. She had finally found a guy who could ignore the good looks and see the crazy personality beneath. I'd been honest to her even though I'd been spying. Maybe she had liked that in me and had been crushed when realizing I didn't like her back and was spying on her. It seemed like an insane assumption, but that was just like Ran. Insane.

With apprehension nicking me from each heightened sense, I watched as the two girls on the platforms discussed the rules of the game. Ran shoved in a few coins inside their slots, flipped through the controls on a giant TV screen that displayed song titles, and punched in the tune of her choice. Lights and arrows were projected onto the screens. In time with the arrows on the screen, the girls would step on the corresponding arrows on the platform. Music blared out of the speakers. The crowd screamed for their favorite in a crazy hype of sound and lights.

The dancing on the platform was intense from the get go. My jaw practically hit the floor when Sam pulled out all the moves as if she had been born playing the game. The crowd of boys were blown away by this too. Halfway through their cheering for Ran they stopped and changed it towards Sam. When I noticed this I couldn't help but to laugh. It was the first real laugh I had since my kidnap. It felt good.

All too soon, the music ended and the game was over. The scores displayed in rainbow colors on the screen. Ran let out a wild whoop of victory when she saw her win. For a second she was back to her normal self. The smile on her face was of pure joy. I almost felt happy for her. I liked seeing her this way.

"No!" Sam yelled with an angry slam of her foot. I was surprised to see her this upset. Usually she was the easy going one of our group. She spun towards Ran and shouted, "Two more rounds! I'll beat you next time."

"No one beats me," Ran said with an arrogant laugh. She flipped her hair behind her shoulder and flashed Sam a cruel smile.

"Then why not put in the coins and beat me again?" Sam said with a challenging grin. Ran hesitated. Sam pounced on this like a cat who had been watching a piece of moving string. "What?" she asked with wicked intent. "Afraid I'll make a smudge on your winning streak?"

"You overconfident, pompous Americans," Ran seethed. She began to ram coins into the slot, never taking her narrowed eyes off Sam. "Fine," she growled. "But this time I won't go easy on you. I'm going to ram that stupid, prissy princess head of yours into the ground."

"Princess?" Sam snarled loudly. Not good! The last time someone called her that, the kid was pushed off the slide tower in second grade. He had to have five stitches in his head. "Who are you calling princess, you shallow miniskirt whore!"

Anyone who knew English well enough gasped. Quiet murmurs in Japanese sprung up from the crowd. I won't lie. I was sweating. Ran looked like she was going to leap right off her platform and gouge Sam's eyes out for that comment. From the expression on Sam's face I could tell she was expecting and practically wishing for it.

Girls are dangerous creatures. Remember that, boys.

"Well, well, well," Ran said evenly. "You've got plenty of nerve." Her lethal expression faded into one of complex admiration. Did Ran actually enjoy this competition? "Let's see what you can do." She extended a hand to indicate Sam to pick the song and said maliciously, "Bitches first."

"How gracious of you," Sam grinned back, a dark kind of laugh in her voice and eyes. Without looking at the screen, she slammed down on the go button. Neither of them knew which song they would be dancing to now. A string of hushed conversation drifted over the faithful crowd.

Ran looked impressed, but she was trying not to show it. Both girls turned toward their screens as the music pounded out of the speakers. The arrows dazzled with lights. The girls simultaneously hit every beat. I cheered Sam on. Dare I say that this was fun?

Round two ended with a flourish of spectacular footwork. By now both girls were panting and sweating slightly. They shared heated glares before getting their rainbow results.

Sam let out a loud shout of joy when seeing she had won. Ran gave a small shriek. Smoke could be coming out of her ears, she looked that incensed at losing. I wondered if this was the first time she had ever been beaten by someone in a game. The crowd was going ballistic. From their reaction I could tell that this was probably the _only_ time someone had matched Ran for her skills.

"Eat that!" Sam gloated. The crowd had turned her into the the ultimate badass. I'd seen this side of her millions of times, but I never realized how hott it was till now. "Ready for round three? It's where I'm going to make you eat all your words!"

The crowd cheered wildly again at this fabulous speech of hers. Everyone was on board for Sam's win. If she did beat Ran, that meant Ran's rule over the arcade would be at an end. They whooped and whistled as if we were at the year's super bowl. It was hilarious at how excited they were. I couldn't keep the grin off my face.

Ran felt her fans betrayal. Her narrowed, dark eyes scanned the crowd as if to shut them all up with her anger. Those eyes landed on mine. A flare of intense heat ruptured inside me with the connection. A wisp of cool air escaped her open mouth. Crap.

"_Kuso!_" Ran swore with vehement loudness. The crowd all looked confused as the girl jumped off the platform, grabbed her backpack with furtive fingers, and whipped out a pistol. A gasp rippled through the throng.

"Danny!" Sam screamed my name as Ram took aim. I cringed.

_BAM!_

I opened my eyes, gasping in surprise and fear. Everyone was looking stupidly at something behind me. Slowly, I looked over my shoulder. The crowd had parted to show me the hole in the screen of an arcade game. It sparked in its last, dying computer breaths before going black. The kid who had been playing looked completely horrified. He would never get to finish his precious game.

As if they had all been thinking the same thing at the same time, the entire arcade exploded into chaos. The crowds dispersed as everyone screamed and ran for the exits. They were all like sewer rats with one goal of escape on their minds. They all managed to avoid bumping into me in their scurry for a way out. A fire alarm screamed through the building. It only added to the confusion of pounding feet and scared yelps.

"What are you doing here, Danny?" Ran shouted over the alarm. She was fearless as she marched around the platform and toward me with the pistol still raised and aimed in my direction. I raised my hands and backed up, my mind in a dire brain lock. "Answer me!" Ran screamed while cocking her pistol. "Or I'll shoot you, I swear!"

"I just wanted to talk to you," I said in what I hoped was a calm voice.

"Liar!" Ran shouted. She shoved the barrel of the gun against my forehead. "Where's your ghost body guard?" she asked. "You come back here to finish me off?"

"No!" I yelled back quickly. "It's not like that."

"My uncle told me what happened the other night," Ran said. "Some evil spirit came and took you away, but not after almost killing him! But I'm not afraid to kill you. I'm not like my uncle. I don't work for my father. Not anymore. I can do whatever I want with you."

"Stop. Ran, listen to me!" I told her forcefully. "If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead already. Think for just one second, okay? Didn't your uncle tell you I'd been kidnapped? He had to mention that."

"He did," Ran sniffed. She was calming down as logic took over.

"Look," I said with all honesty now, "I didn't want to spy on you. I didn't want to come to Japan at all. I was dragged here against my will and forced to lie and trick you. If it was all up to me, I'd still be back in Amity Park eating stale bean burritos and watching golf on the TV for five hours on the couch."

"Why didn't he kidnap some other hopeless kid, then?" Ran demanded scathingly.

"I'll tell you everything, but this is not the best location to talk," I said. "Unless you want us all to get arrested. I'm sure the police would _love_ to arrest the drug lord's daughter. Your choice."

The mention of the police upset Ran. Her strong stance wavered. She bit down on her lower lip in thought. She was a brilliant person, but pride got in her way too often. This decision was an inner battle between her exuberant pride and her flawless logic. I wondered which one was going to win this time.

"Alright," she said finally. As she put the pistol into the place between the small of her back and her skirt, she ran back to her backpack and school clothes. She hastily pulled on her shoes and sweater while saying, "My uncle's house is not far from here. We'll have to take the back exit." Her eyes flickered over to Sam who was still standing on the platform then back to me. "Is she with you?"

"Yeah," I said. This answer only made Ran hate Sam even more. Great. The las thing I needed that day was a constant cat fight between these two.

"Let's go," Ran said as she threw on her backpack and sprinted down a row of video games. Sam and I didn't need more prodding. Sam jumped down from the platform and we both ran after the Japanese girl. We careened around all kinds of abandoned machines. Dropped coins scattered across the dirty carpet posed as stumbling blocks, but we didn't have the time to dwell when I once lost my balance on them and fell to my butt. The fire alarm was only a background sound with each narrow turn.

Ran rammed her shoulder into the push door at the back of the building. It burst open in a spray of rain water. Despite the gloomy downpour of fat raindrops, Ran didn't hesitate before running into the alley. Sam was closely behind her. I brought up the rear. I pulled up my hood before plunging into the fray.

Shouts to my right made me pause and look that way. A group of three police men were rushing down the alley towards the three of us. "Run!" I shouted at the girls. They rushed down the alleyway before taking another one which cut them from view.

The second they were gone, I turned myself invisible, changed into ghost form, and flew over to a half filled dumpster sitting behind the arcade. Keeping myself invisible still, I used my ghost strength to pull the dumpster away from the brick wall. The policemen were yards away from me now. A powerful kick to the metal container was all I needed. The dumpster skated across the wet surface of concrete and connected with the three innocent men.

I didn't stick around to see the damage I had done. Quickly I turned back into human form and sprinted around the corner of the alley to catch up with the girls. The rain made vision very difficult, but I could make out the two figures rounding another corner into a third alley up ahead.

Puddles embedded in the blacktop sloshed and distorted in the disturbance of my soaked sneakers as I raced up the alley. Rain pelted me. My clothes were by now dead weights as I surged down the alleyway. Inazuma's tiny claws dug into my skin as he clawed me in his fear of so much sudden movement. I skidded to a stop just as Sam and Ran shot out of the alley they had been in.

We regrouped there on the spot. Ran shoved her long, wet hair out of her face. Sam was clutching a stitch on her side. Underneath my hoodie, I was trying to pry Zuma's claws out of my skin without grimacing.

"Dead end!" Sam yelled at me above the downpour. "What do we do now?"

"What did you do to the police back there?" Ran asked me.

"Not now," I said, shaking my head. "How do we get out of here?"

"Back the way we - _kuso_! Run!" She turned around and headed back toward the dead end alley. Sam and I looked back toward the arcade alley, saw now five policemen pointing and running toward us, and followed Ran. Two seconds later we were sloshing to stops beside a tall wooden fence.

"Come on!" Sam said while making a foothold with her fingers. "We can jump over this wall."

"Are you kidding, Sam?" I said. "That wall is more than a story high! We'd never make it over! Not to mention we'd kill ourselves on the fall if we managed to get to the top."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Sam demanded. She furiously shook her head, her wet hair sticking to her face.

"We're gonna have to tell her at some point," I said. "Might as well do it now." Sam stood back with a look of firm distaste as I let the pair of rings burst over my body. In a second I was in ghost form. Ran gasped while backing up in alarm. Her hand moved toward her gun but stopped when she saw me bending over in pain. It felt like a knot of lava had been shoved inside my chest.

"You okay?" Sam asked me with concern. "What's going on, Danny?"

"I don't know!" I gasped. I looked at Ran. The second our eyes connected, the heat increased ten fold. The pain rocked me to my hands and knees. Inazuma scrambled out of my jumpsuit, fighting for freedom away from the scalding heat. Sam kneeled in front of me and scooped up the kitten in her arms.

"We got to get out of here, Danny!" she urged me in a whisper. "What's wrong?"

Realization came over me. Staring down at the wet ground that reflected the bleak moodiness of the sky, I knew I had made a mistake. How could I have been so stupid?

"Nothing's wrong," I told Sam with a grin. "But I think I found the person who's gonna destroy our golem."

A/N: Well, many of you guessers were right. Ran's gonna have to destroy the golem. Only problem now is getting her to do it. She's not the kind of girl who takes an order from someone. Anyways, only a few chapters left. Gotta gear myself up for a finale chapter soon. I'll see you guys in two weeks!


	22. Chapter 22 Grasping At Water

A/N: Okay, the chapter is a little late, but it will be worth it. I had to make this chapter a little longer than normally. Lots of stuff happens here, so sit back and enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own EVERYTHING...except those Danny Phantom characters.

Chapter 22 Grasping At Water

Sam's eyes widened in understanding. She quickly looked up at Ran in shock as I forced my feverish body to unsteady feet. My insides felt like fire. I wouldn't be surprised if the rain began to sizzle on my skin. Still, the police were seconds away from discovering and arresting us. I didn't know about the girls, but I didn't want to spend the rest of the day in a foreign jail cell. We had to get out of there.

"You've got to be kidding me," Sam said in repulse. Her brain had finally caught up with her. She now realized that Ran was the one who would have to destroy the golem. Ironic how the universe hates us, isn't it?

I ignored Sam's comment and the pale look of fear on Ran's face. I passed both of them, heading for the wooden fence preventing us freedom. The heat bubbled uncontrollably inside me. Lava rushed chaotically through my veins. All I wanted was to return back to human form, but I had a job to do.

My hand tightened into a fist. I threw it back before punching a hole in one of the soggy, wooden panels of the wall. It broke easily under my ghost strength. The second I saw it was big enough for someone to fit through, I flashed back into human form and let out a shaky breath as my insides returned to normal.

"No time to complain!" I shouted at the girls that were staring at me. "Let's go!"

Sam snapped back into gear first. She shook her head furiously in silent anger before squeezing through the hole I had made. Ran shot a weary look over her shoulder at the sound of splashing footsteps and rushed to fit through the crack. I brought up the rear and slipped through the hole just as the police men rounded the corner of the alley.

"Go! Run!" I screamed at my comrades as I sped to sprint.

"No! Help me with this!" Sam yelled back at me. She held Zuma in her hands as she used her shoulder to push a stack of garbage bags into tumbling into the path of the hole of the wall. I skidded to a stop, practically falling over in the frantic process, and came back to help her do the job. The mountain of trash fell with a final shove. The police were trapped on the other side now.

"Good idea," I told Sam with a praising grin.

"I'm full of them," Sam said, smirking.

"Let's go!" Ran shouted at us impatiently.

Sam growled some degrading word for a girl under her breath as I rolled my eyes. In the end, all three of us threw ourselves into sprints and ran out into an unoccupied street. Cars and busses dotted the wet surface of the blacktop, but hardly any mass of people could be seen out in the downpour. I'd never seen such a decrease in people in the city.

We found a glass inclosure at a bus stop to gather our senses and figure out the next part of our plans. At first all we did was put our hands on our knees and greedily gulp for air. The foggy surfaces of the glass made me feel like we were in some kind of soapy bubble. None of us said anything. Even Inazuma refrained from meowing as he huddled against Sam for warmth. Should have left the poor guy at the house.

_Wham!_

Ran's fist had come out of nowhere and struck me hard against the side of my head. Stunned from the unexpected blow, I stumbled drunkenly to one side. Ran's strong hand tightened around the wet fabric of the front of my hoodie. She yanked me back to my feet before shoving me into the misty glass wall of the inclosure.

"What the hell is going on, Danny?" Ran snarled into my face. "What happened back there in the alley?"

"Get away from him!" Sam shouted, taking a threatening step toward Ran.

"No!" Ran yelled back. She whipped out her pistol again and aimed it point blank at the girl coming at her. Sam pulled up short with a furious scowl consuming her features. "I'm tired of being in the dark," Ran seethed as she shoved the barrel of her gun into the moist skin of my forehead. "Tell me what's going on. Right here. Right now."

"L-look," I stuttered. My eyes wearily stared at the gun ready to blow my brains out. "I'll tell you everything, Ran, when we get to your uncle's house. Okay?"

"No, that's not okay, Danny," Ran said with a bitter chuckle. Her thumb cocked the pistol. Sam was ready to have a total cow as she was forced to watch all this. "Tell me now, or I'm going to kill you," Ran said forcefully. I didn't believe she had it in her to murder me, but she was serious nonetheless.

"Fine," I grumbled in defeat. "You want to know so badly? Here's the quick version. I'm half ghost. You have the ability to be unaffected by anything supernatural. You're going to have to defeat this golem killing all these people in the city that's screwing up the drug dealing business. Why? Because my kidnapper, Vlad Masters, works for Katsumi Tanaka, who's your mother by the way, and he might believe your father is the master of the golem and so has to kill him to get rid of the golem. By the end the day your dad might be murdered. So either you're going to have to kill the golem, or your dad dies. Happy now?"

Ran stared at me in complete disbelief for a second. Finally, she shook her head which was full of jumbled thoughts and said, "You're lying."

"Oh, I wish I was," I laughed cruelly. "Because, incase you haven't noticed, you suck at saving people. You can't even save yourself. Now you have to save the entire city of Tokyo? Yeah, I know what you're thinking. We're screwed."

Ran's hand on the gun began to waver as my words sunk in. Her dark eyes lowered from their steady gaze into mine to the ground. Ultimately, she let me go and backed away from Sam and I slowly. As if she was in a daze, Ran sat on the metal bench in the corner of the inclosure. There she stayed, silent and thoughtful. It was the first I'd seen her like this. I wasn't quite sure if I liked it too much.

"Is she okay?" Sam asked me after a long stint of silence.

"I don't know," I admitted. "Just let her digest what I said. It's kinda a shock, you know?"

"Alright," Sam said with an overdramatic shrug. "You're the expert here."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked guardedly.

"Nothing. Forget I said anything," Sam said quietly without meeting my eyes. She soon changed the subject by asking, "Can you take Inazuma back? Ouch! His little claws are digging into my skin."

"Poor guy," I muttered as she handed me the wet and frightened kitten. He eagerly clawed the thick material of my hoodie as I held him tight. "I should have left him at the house like you said," I admitted regretfully. His frail, shaking body close to mine was heart-rending to me.

"He looks like you," Sam stated from what seemed like out of the blue. My look of perplexity compelled her to explain. "The black and white fur is when you're either in human or ghost form," she said like this was common sense. "And he has the same color of blue eyes like you. You must have noticed this."

Inazuma and I looked at each other. We shared expressions of surprise before I chuckled, "Yeah. We do look alike. Cool, huh?" Sam smiled at me, but I don't think it was because of the coolness of the cat and I looking similar. I opened my mouth to ask her what was so funny, but Ran interrupted me before I could get the words out.

"We're going to my uncle's house," she growled at the two of us as she brushed fiercely past me, almost knocking me off my feet. Holding Zuma close, I watched her storm out of the inclosure with confused alarm.

"What's her problem?" I whispered to Sam as she joined me in following after the girl.

Sam shot me a strange glare of skepticism. "You're really that clueless?" she asked me finally. When I didn't answer, she sighed and rolled her eyes. "You don't need to know," she told me rather coldly.

I couldn't argue with her because at this point Ran had flagged down a taxi cab for us. We all piled in under the disapproving eyes of the driver who glared at our wet bodies like they were a disease. I was glad I had stuffed Zuma under my hoodie before entering. I'm sure the man would have kicked us out if he caught sight of the little guy. Ran gave the bitter driver our destination and proceeded to stare out of her cloudy window and ignored me as I tried to get her to talk. After a minute or two of my best finagling for conversation with her, I gave up.

What had made her so sour? I know it was hard taking on that much information from me so soon, but I would think she'd ask a lot of questions. Or at least demand for answers. This wasn't like her. I hated getting the silent treatment from anyone, but this was worse. If Ran didn't agree to destroy the golem, a lot of people were going to be in a ton of trouble. My stomach twisted painfully at the thought.

The cab arrived five minutes later at the entrance to a rather expensive apartment building. Ran showed us inside without a word to either Sam or I. She said something to the lady receptionist there in Japanese before continuing toward the elevators.

The lobby waiting room was decorated in all modern/retro art. Vibrant colored couches and love seats in the shapes of circles, moons, and grapes dotted the lime green floor. Abstract paintings hung on the walls. The ceiling held many different 3D hanging modules of modern art. I felt like I was walking into an art museum. The look on Sam's face told me she was thinking the same thing. Our eyes traveled furiously to catch all that we could as we tried staying at Ran's frantic pace.

An elevator was sitting open for us. It had a pure purple plush interior. Sam and I stumbled in just as Ran stabbed the button for the penthouse floor. Like she did in the taxi, she avoided any eye contact or verbal communication.

"Nice place your uncle lives in," I tried to go for small talk.

"Yeah," Ran muttered. "It helps that he works with my dad sometimes."

"Sometimes?" I asked, taken aback slightly. I seriously thought Toushiro worked full time with Mr. Izumi. "What does he normally do?"

"He's the branch manager to a car manufacturing company," she answered. "He just does favors for my dad sometimes. Like kidnapping you. That had been on my dad's request. He knows my uncle is good with teens and so wouldn't harm you too badly when he interrogated you. My father said my uncle had been too weak to stay inside the family business, so he fired him when I was only a kid. But my father respects my uncle enough to give him odd jobs when the times come. It gives them some extra money."

"How is kidnapping 'good with kids'?" Sam asked Ran accusingly.

Ran's glare could have frozen hot magma. She was going to return with what I'm sure was supposed to be something spiteful, but the elevator jutted in with a melodious _ding_ just in time. A nervous grin popped to my face as the doors opened and I managed to say happily, "Okay! Let's go!"

The girls continued to glower at each other as I escorted them down the hallway toward the single, red door. I stopped in front of the odd colored entrance and motioned for Ran to ring the bell there, she being the niece and all. She pounded the small button and stood back with a scowl on her pretty face. I glanced to my other side, but only to see Sam with the same expression. Oh boy.

It was only when the door was swinging open when I realized this meeting with Toushiro was going to be a weird and maybe a hostile one. My heart thumped loudly against my chest with this new spike of panic. What if Toushiro opened the door, thought I was there to hurt him somehow, and blew my brains out with that gun of his? He was quick. He could do it. He-.

Man, I really needed to calm down and put my imagination on hold.

The smiling face of a white woman greeted us a second later. She had straight blonde hair put into a messy ponytail and sea green eyes that took us all in with great surprise. Her long fingered hand came up to her full lips in the shock we gave her. We must have looked like drowned rats showing up at her doorstep. Not impressive in the least bit.

"I thought you said this was your uncle's house," I told Ran. Obviously this wasn't the right place.

"This is my aunt!" Ran hissed at me. Oh. Oops.

"S-sorry," I sputtered out in embarrassment to the woman. "You just don't look-. Sorry. Again. Um...is your husband here?" I tried pulling my lips up into a contrite smile.

"Blimey! You sure know how to pick out the funny ones, Ran," the woman told Ran in a British accent. She shook her head at us, blown away by our looks and my flushing red face. Her smooth, pale features contorted into a curious frown of suspicion before asking slowly, "And what's all this about your uncle?"

"Sorry, Charlotte-chan," Ran said with a quick dip of her head. "We need to speak to my uncle right away. It is urgent."

"This better not be about your father's work, Ran. We've discussed this with your father hundreds of times. We don't bring work home," Charlotte said critically. Her eyes narrowed at this thought.

"Sorry, but it kinda is. We will explain," Sam piped up. "But this is an emergency!"

"What kind of an emergency?" Charlotte said in confusion. Sam had chosen the right time to butt into the conversation. Toushiro's wife didn't seem to like Ran that much. I didn't have to guess at why. It seemed that talking to Sam would prove to be more trustworthy.

"Life and death, although cliche, sums it up nicely," I said with a grimace. When she didn't respond other than a disapproving frown, I switched tactics. As seriously as I could, I said, "Please, ma'am. I need to speak to Toushiro, I mean your husband. It's about a kidnapping. He'll know what I'm talking about. If I could just see him. We, uh, kinda know each other."

"Well, if you're that desperate to see him, he's in the kitchen with the kids," Charlotte said with a defeated sigh. She threw her head over her shoulder at the distant sound of a crash and victorious cries of laughter. The three of us guests craned our necks to peek into the apartment where all the ruckus was coming from.

"Honestly," Charlotte huffed. "This is the last time I let him talk me into making lunch a family thing." She turned back to us and ushered us in. "Come on in now. Watch your step. Careful not to soak the carpet. While you're here, I might as well make a pot of tea."

We shuffled in. Ran looked right at home. She threw off her shoes in the doorway and proceeded into the living room without a care in the world. Sam and I looked around as we yanked off our shoes. The room was decorated with comfortable looking leather couches, impressive black and white photos of well known city landmarks on the walls, and bright track lighting on the ceiling. One entire wall was glass that overlooked the rainy city. We hardly noticed the bunch of toys dumped haphazardly across the white carpeted floor as we rushed to the kitchen arch doorway behind Ran and her aunt.

The sight of the kitchen was not what I was expecting. While I'm sure it was big, imposing, and just as modern looking as the other room and Katsumi Tanaka's kitchen, I couldn't seem to see it under all the flour. It was a white wonderland the second I stepped in. The grainy white substance stuck to every surface as if it had just snowed in the room.

"Boys!" Charlotte gasped in horror. "I leave this kitchen for two seconds, and you all managed to to turn it into a bloody blizzard!"

"It wasn't me this time, honey, I swear," Toushiro said, grinning under the layer of flour on his face. He was standing in the middle of the kitchen with a little kid around the age of five or six hanging off him like a monkey. The kid giggled and pointed a finger at his dad's messy face. Toushiro stuck his tongue back out at him, making a funny face and producing more fits of giggles from his kid.

"It was Akira," a boy of about twelve said in a monotone voice, stabbing a pencil in the direction of the accused. He was sitting at the island bar with a ton of books stacked or opened in front of him. At the moment he was diligently wiping off the flour gathered on the text, completely transfixed on his studies.

"No it wasn't!" the third and final boy, Akira, screamed in defense. He was standing on one of the counters and holding two empty ruptured bags of flour. He was maybe eight or nine.

All the boys looked similar. Same almond shaped eyes, jet-black hair, and colored skin. The only difference in them were their eyes. The oldest had the dark, piercing stare as Ran's. The youngest, who was still hanging off his father, had his mother's innocent sea green look of wonder in his eyes. The mischievous, flour culprit second born had his father's emerald green eyes. At the moment they were full of wild intent. He looked like Miss Tanaka. He also looked like his dad. I couldn't help but to grin at the odd connection.

"Don't lie, Akira," Toushiro told his son. "Now tell your mother it was you who came up with the brilliant idea of hitting two bags of flower together."

"Don't bother!" Charlotte returned with an explosive sigh of motherly exasperation. "I've heard and seen enough! All of you, go to the washroom and clean yourselves up. Put on some new clothes. You all look absolutely deplorable!" The one with the books looked up to protest, but his mother deftly snapped at him, "That means you too, Kioshi."

Grumbling something Japanese under his breath, Kioshi finished cleaning off a book and stalked out of the room by using another door on the other end of the kitchen, all the while reading the book intently. I don't think he even noticed any of us in the door way. Akira leapt off the counter without another protest, gave the three of us a questionable glance, and ran for the bathroom using the same door as Kioshi did.

"You have guests, sweetie," Charlotte said off handedly as she glided through the kitchen, preparing the tea she promised us.

Toushiro looked up from playing with his youngest son. He was hanging the boy upside down by his ankles and pretending to drop him. This made the kid laugh his reddening head off. Toushiro's eyes stopped on me. The smile on his face vanished in the mere matter of seconds. He didn't look scared, just disturbed. It was probably the first time he'd ever come into contact with someone he supposedly kidnapped. That's probably not a good feeling.

"_Koneko!_" the kid suddenly shouted in delight. He pointed right at me and giggled. What the heck did koneko mean?

"Tell Manzo that we speak English in the house, dear," Charlotte said over her shoulder to Toushiro. She stopped in realization and spun around, confused, before asking, "Why did he just say kitten?"

"Because Danny has a cat head sticking out of his shirt," Toushiro stated. He pointed at me as well, trying to wipe the look of stun off his face for his questioning wife.

"Crap!" I hissed in alarm. Every eye in the room was on me now. They watched in astonishment as I tried quelling Inazuma's craving for curiosity by shoving him back down into my hoodie. Manzo giggled each time Zuma poked his head back up defiantly.

"This house is going ruddy mad!" Charlotte said, clearly at the end of her rope. She rushed over to me, ordering sternly, "Give the poor dear to us. Why on earth you carry your pet around in your shirt, I will never understand. I'll get him some tuna." She extracted Zuma from me with a dry cleaning towel. Holding him close, she hurried off to the flour covered refrigerator but not before yelling, "Manzo, go clean yourself up already! And you," she addressed her tense-looking husband, "Go talk to your guests out in the living room. I don't want to hear any more silly things your father-in-law has for you to do."

"Of course," Toushiro said, slowly heading toward the three of us. When he was sure his wife wasn't looking, he pointed at the living room with a furious look on his face. We all hurried away, eager to do what the angry adult told us to do. I had never seem him so upset before. It was almost frightening.

"Thanks!" I called to Charlotte before stepping out of the kitchen and back into the living room. I didn't get to hear her answer because Toushiro was yanking a sliding door out from the wall and closing off the archway with a wall of wood.

The second the door was closed, Toushiro turned on us with an immensely perturbed scowl on his face. He seemed to be thinking of the best way to go about this. We kept quiet, waiting for the worse. I know that I for one was a nervous wreck. I had no clue how the man was going to react. Sweat traveled down my back, and my palms felt slick with the worried-ridden liquid.

"Well," Toushiro said finally, "This is a very unwanted surprise. You," he pointed at me, "Sit down now." My nerves wrecking havoc on my stomach, I complied by promptly sinking into a couch. Toushiro then turned to Ran and demanded, "Explain why Danny Fenton is sitting in my living room."

"He showed up at the arcade," Ran said, unbridled coldness in her voice. "Said he escaped his kidnapper and needed to talk with you. He also told me that his kidnapper was going to kill my father and that I was the only one who could stop him."

"And you believed him?" Toushiro asked dubiously.

"No," Ran stated simply.

"Then why the hell did you bring him here?" Toushiro asked, on the brink of snarling with rage. However, he neatly kept his anger in check. "I told you how dangerous that ghost that was with him was, Ran. You could be leading it here at the very moment."

"He doesn't know I'm gone," I assured Toushiro quickly.

"You do not talk till I'm ready to listen to you, Danny," Toushiro snapped at me. Sam and I shared looks of concern as Toushiro turned his focus back upon Ran and demanded, "Either you explain your reason for putting my entire family in danger, or I'm kicking all of you out right now."

"Is Katsumi Tanaka, that crazy drug dealer, my real mother?" Ran asked suddenly, voice completely devoid of emotion. Toushiro's only reaction was in his eyes. They widened in anxiety, but he couldn't bring himself to answer. Ran didn't waver with her stare. Her icy glare stayed on her uncle until he managed a defeated nod.

"She is," Toushiro said quietly. "Your father never wanted you to find out. He said you'd be happier not knowing who your real mother was."

"So he was right," Ran said hollowly.

"Who was right?" Toushiro asked. Ran just looked up at me. Toushiro followed her gaze, resting his worried eyes on me. He looked at me thoughtfully for a long time. Finally, he ran a hand through his flour covered hair, knelt down in front of me, and said softly, "Danny, I need you to explain what is happening and what you know."

"Where do I start?" I said with a laugh, trying to ease the tension in the room.

"Start before you were even kidnapped," Toushiro said. "I'll need to know everything." Panic flared in my chest at the thought of starting from the beginning. Toushiro must have caught the distressed look in my eyes because he soon said, "I can't help you, Danny, if I don't know the entire story."

"I'll help you tell it," Sam said, sitting down next to me. She flashed me a warm smile. I returned it with one of hesitant thanks.

"You must be Sam Manson," Toushiro said. Sam looked startled at the fact that he knew her name, but he quickly explained, "I had to research Danny for Ran's father. Your name came up a lot." This put Sam somewhat at ease, but she still shot me a anxious, small smile.

I gave a long sigh, preparing myself for what might transpire here tonight if I told this tale. I would have to reveal my ghost side, explain all the crap Vlad put my through, and tell Ran again why she'd have to help us with the golem. All the horrors and the mind games I had experienced the last few days would have to come to the surface. After constant hours of spinning entangling webs of lies, I was worried about telling people the truth. The truth almost sounded too easy, too weak, too nobel to ever get me where I wanted.

Was this the right way to go? Would it be better to get Ran's help some other way? Was there another lie stashed somewhere in my brain that could make these people do what I wanted? I knew I could fabricate something worthwhile. If I learned anything at all with my time with Vlad, it would be that people were bendable. A push here or nudge there, and they could easily do your will. I could lie to get whatever I wanted.

But I didn't want to lie. I didn't want to turn into a miniature Vlad. That wasn't the life for me. This moment was where I could prove I wasn't like that man. I would never be like him.

So, taking a deep breath and speaking in a low voice, I told my story. I started with that miserable morning Vlad drugged me, dragged them through my airplane travels to Tokyo, Prague, and back again, explained the flash drive and the rescue of Inazuma, used my hands when talking of my battles with Chan Man, choked back the emotion that came with his murder, went through the pain of being shot by my kidnapper, avoided Ran's stare when going through my second kidnap because of her trickery, and ended with the surprise arrival of Sam.

The end was met with quiet stares or pondering expressions. Charlotte had already given us our tea. Inazuma, with a full, happy stomach and warm, dry fur sat in my lap purring with blissful ignorance to the heavy silence around him. I scratched him behind the ears and waited patiently for someone to say something. My part was done. A hidden burden that had been weighing me down for days now had been lifted. It feel like I could breathe again. The depression was gone. It was relieving, to say the least.

Toushiro rubbed this side of face with a look of shock and marvel. He took a quick swig of his tea before settling his gaze on me again. I stared back fearlessly. It was his turn to act. This is why I came to him. He knew Ran, Mr. Izumi, Vlad Masters/Plasmius (although he didn't know they were connected), Katsumi Tanaka, and now me. He had the connections I needed. He was going to be more of a help than I think he thought he was.

"First of all," Toushiro said sincerely, "I'm sorry for what I put you through."

"Not your fault, dude," I said with a shrug. "You didn't think a ghost would show up and fight you for me. Things weren't going as planned that night."

"No," Toushiro said with a wry grin, "Ghosts weren't exactly part of the plan." I gave a small laugh and watched him get to his feet. He began to pace the living room floor, green eyes narrowed in deep thought.

Sam and I watched him, waiting for orders or information of some kind. We came straight to Toushiro for these things. For some strange reason I knew I could trust this guy. It didn't take simple intuition to know he was a good person when it all came down to it. Ran, on the other hand, merely glared at her lap with a sour frown on her lips. I wondered what she was thinking. Whatever it was, it was clearly not something happy or hopeful. It put me on unease.

"Alright," Toushiro said, still pacing back and forth like a restless, caged lion, "If what all you said is true, that flash drive must give us the information as to who the owner of the golem is. Masters already knows who it is. It's not Mr. Izumi. I can assure you. That means it's somebody else."

"Who?" I asked eagerly.

"I don't know," Toushiro sighed. He stopped abruptly as a startling thought came to him, but he confusedly shook his head a second later and continued his laborious stride.

"Who do you _think_ it could be?" Sam asked.

"You didn't come to me for guess work," Toushiro said firmly. "I'm not ready to give you kids any assumptions. We need clear, concrete evidence before we can go after anybody. Understand?"

"Listen to yourself," Ran said dejectedly from her couch. Her uncle halted his pacing and looked at Ran without any emotion whatsoever. If anything, he regarded her only with a stilled sadness.

I watched Ran, ready for her to drop the bomb. My stomach did this flip thing that it always does when riding a roller coaster. Not a fun experience when not sitting on an amusement park ride, I promise you that.

"'_Go after anybody_'?" Ran repeated with a half hearted laugh. "You silly people think you're all superheroes or something. All you have to do is put on a cape and you can save the world? What nonsense."

"It's not nonsense!" Sam spoke up passionately. "Don't you get it? Your city is in trouble! People have died! Don't you care about the lives that are in danger?"

"No ones going to die," Ran said with a cruel sneer. "You heard your stupid boyfriend. Vlad Masters is going to kill the owner of the golem. When that happens, no more golem. Problem gone." She got out of her seat and smirked at Sam and I as she said, "You guys don't need me. Like I'd help you anyways."

That said, Ran walked toward the door without another care in the world. Along the way, she pulled out a cigarette and put it between her lips. Our only chance of saving Tokyo was leaving.

"No!" I shouted suddenly. I must have thrown Zuma off my lap and ran after her, because seconds later my hand was grabbing Ran's shoulder, and I was spinning her around to face me. She mocked me with an uncaring laugh at my effort to stop her. This angered me to the point where I yanked the unlit cigarette out of her mouth, stomped vehemently on it with a soggy shoe, and glared hard into her face.

"What are you going to do, loser?" Ran said languidly. "Force me to be your sidekick?"

"Don't," I growled at her. My anger was surging quickly to the surface, but I calmly kept it inside. Days with Vlad and having to suppress such a powerful emotion had taught me how to control it to a point. I wouldn't let this stupid girl make me boil over.

"Don't what?" Ran asked with impatience. "And that was my last cigarette. You owe me."

"Don't pretend that you don't care," I told her. "You're smart enough to understand why we need you. Vlad might be able to kill the master of the golem, but that doesn't kill the golem. The problem would still exist. Anyone else afterwards can control the thing. We're lucky this person hasn't unleashed the golem into the streets for whatever it jolly well wants! That golem is dangerous, Ran! The only way to fully get rid of it is if you help us. You're the only one who can stop it, Ran. You know this!"

"So?" Ran asked offhandedly. She flipped her hair behind her shoulder and stared at me indignantly. Why? Why was she doing this?

"Don't do this, Ran," I pleaded with her.

"Do what?" she hissed at me. "Pretend I'm some hero? You even said so yourself, Danny. I can't even save myself. So leave me alone. I don't care about it anymore."

"You _do_ care!" I yelled after her retreating form. My hands by my sides balled into fists of frustration and anger. She was ruining everything! All because of her selfishness! "You're just scared!" I screamed as she opened the door. "And selfish!" I added, voice wavering.

She turned, looked me right in the eyes, and said, "Bye, _loser_."

Then she was gone.

"You're just gonna let her leave?" I yelled at Toushiro, rounding on him in my spill over of pent up rage. "Just like that? She's our best way at getting rid of the golem, and you're just going to let walk away? You're her uncle! Go get her back!"

"It doesn't work like that," Toushiro said evenly. "Ran is like water. You can't expect her to do what you want when you grasp at her. She'll only slip through your fingers."

"Then what do you suggest we do without her?" I asked, voice rising. Things were spiraling out of control. We needed Ran. I didn't know what we could do without her. How could Sam and Toushiro be so calm? Didn't they know the incredible danger that golem could create?

"Slow down," Toushiro said calmly. "Ran's a smart girl. She'll come around eventually. If we could find out who this person is who's controlling the golem and tell her later, I can almost guarantee that she'll change her mind."

"How can you be so sure?" I asked. Ran was as hard headed as they came. I was a little skeptical about her changing her mind.

Toushiro took a deep breath and said with a shrug, "She likes you, kid. She won't give you up so easily."

"_Likes me?_" I said in exasperation. "How? I even told her I didn't like her! I'm a jerk to her! How can she possibly like me?"

"I'm not female," Toushiro said. His trademark crooked grin flashed to his features. "I don't know how they think. Maybe you're the first to make her chase. Who cares at this point? All that matters is that flash drive you said you hid. If you can get that and bring it back here, that would tell us all we need. First the flash drive, then Ran. It's best in that order. You getting this, kid?"

"Yeah," I said half heartedly. This was such a mess. Knowing that Ran liked me, did that make my relationship change towards her? Did I like her back? What about Sam? I glanced up at the girl still sitting on the couch, a frazzled Zuma in her lap. Her violet eyes peered into mine with honest concern. It was an emotion that was true, and I could rely on it always being there for me. It was exactly what I needed.

"Okay," I said finally. A smile from me seemed to put the two more at ease. "I'll go get that flash drive. Stay here, Sam. Should only take me a few minutes. I'm going ghost!"

The cold rings of power burst across my body. Toushiro took a surprised step away from me. He'd never seen me transform. He had only taken my word for it that I was half ghost because it was the only explication for why Vlad kidnapped me and not some other dope off the streets. His astounded expression made me laugh. I know I really should have been apprehensive about the fact that someone other than friends or family knew about my ghost abilities from now on, but the look of alarm on the man's face was pure priceless.

With a wave and wink to Sam, I was ready to leave. A burst of energy later, and I was soaring over the city of Tokyo.

-Few Minutes Later-

Landing lightly upon the puddle strewn walkway in Katsumi's garden, I quickly flashed back into human form. The house was lit with various inner lights. Someone had to be home. I hoped it wasn't Vlad. Please, anything but Vlad.

It was still raining. Grumbling clouds continued to shower the city in fat drops of water as if trying to wipe the streets clean. Shivering in the wet cold, I walked stiffly to the zen garden. My sneaker was just making an imprint in the mushy sand when I heard the door to the kitchen open with a burst of warm light. I froze in fear, like a dear in headlights, and looked into the intruding blaze, heart slamming like a jackhammer into my chest.

"Danny?" Katsumi Tanaka called out into the rain. "What are you doing out here?"

I didn't respond. I was too stunned. Too relieved was more like it. It wasn't Vlad. Thank goodness.

"Don't stand out there in the cold rain," Katsumi said, motioning me to come into the house. She clutched at her silk, colorful robe as she peered into the darkened garden. "You'll get sick. Come in and warm yourself up."

I was feet away from grabbing the flash drive and flying out of there. Then again, it would kind of rude to just blast off without any explanation to the woman. Torn between a want and an obligation, I stood there in the rain staring at her like some moron. Would it even be worth it trying to explain everything to her? I was seconds away from avoiding an encounter with her altogether.

The sound of movement behind me jostled me out of my internal debate. I turned just in time to get a face full of a plasma gun barrel. The wielder cocked his weapon just as I had moved. The hum of it firing up bristled the hairs on the back of my neck. Somehow I knew things were going to go straight down hill from then on.

"Don't try to fly away, demon," the wielder spat at me while inching closer. Suppressing a gasp, I watched as three more goons stepped out of the darkness with their own ghost weapons aimed at me. Ambush. Great. Just great.

I was just flashing into ghost mode and taking to the air when something stabbed me in the leg. Felt like a dart had been fired at me. Looking down, I saw something small, round, and metal sticking to the side of my thigh. A second later, it buzzed with electricity. Pain zapped through my body, tearing through muscles and bone until turning off the cold core inside me and reverting me back to human.

Next thing I knew, I was plummeting toward the earth. Didn't have the time to scream. I hit the wet ground with a squelch of mud and a hurt grunt. My shoulder that had been shot burned with agony along with the leg with the dark stuck in it. As I struggled to my hands and knees, the shoulder gave me a frightening flash of pain and I let out a choked yell.

This wasn't good at all. I needed to get out of there as soon as possible. But by being powerless I wondered if I could even fight off a single one of these guys. Still, I was going to go down swinging.

Hands seized my arms and tried lifting me to my feet. I struck out with with a foot, nailing a guy in the stomach by chance. He let me go, bending over to catch his breath. A desperate hit with my elbow to the other guy's throat freed me. I stumbled forward with eyes pinned on the bamboo fence that I'd have to get over. Man, this was pointless. But I had to try and get out of there.

Didn't even make it hardly five steps. The muffled sound of a plasma gun firing could be heard behind me. One of the balls of heat connected with its target. White hot pain seared through one of my calves. Crying out, I tumbled to the ground. Mud stuck to my clothes like weighty leeches. I tried getting back to my feet, but my sneakers couldn't find a grip in all the sludge. I lurched forward once again, gave a short yelp, and found myself grimacing after another splatter of mud drenched my face.

My attackers by then had caught up with me. This time they were weary of my struggling and gripped me hard before yanking me to my feet.

"Ah! No!" I screamed in distress. "Lemme go! No!" Hopelessly, I kicked and squirmed in my captors' clutches. I know I got a few good punches and kicks in. At times I wiggled myself free for a second or two before the men would grab me again.

They brought me to the house. Katsumi stepped aside as I was dragged in, dripping with rain water and mud. The men maneuvered themselves to either side of me before slamming my back against a wall and keeping me there by pressing my arms to the flat surface. My wounded shoulder flared in pain. I squeezed my eyes shut, cringing out the wave of discomfort.

"Search him," Katsumi ordered the men. Her voice was sharp but excited.

My eyes flashed open. The woman stood a few yards in front of me, smirking devilishly in triumph. The malign gleam in her scrutinizing, emerald eyes twisted my stomach into a knot of despair.

"What are you doing?" I gasped, shaking my head furiously. This was so confusing. My brain just wanted to explode in bafflement. It wasn't a good feeling.

"It is not surprising that Vlad never told you the truth about me," Katsumi said, flaunting her power with a dazzling smile. "There is no need to tell me where his flash drive is. My men will find it. Thank you for being such a good boy, Danny."

Two of the goons were frisking me thoroughly. The other two pinned me against the wall by my arms. The ones running their hands up and down my grim-laden clothes began to shove their hands into my pockets. It was rather violating. They took off my shoes and looked in them before throwing them to the side. My mouth was even checked. The search wasn't over until every inch of my body had been checked.

Finally, one of the searchers stood back from me and whispered something in Japanese to Katsumi. She folded her arms in front of her chest and frowned at me. I stared back, scared and disoriented. What did she want with me? Why was she looking for the flash drive? Did she also want to stop Vlad from killing the master of the golem? Or did she want to join him? And what did she mean about him not telling the truth about her?

"I'll ask you nicely just this once, Danny," Katsumi told me, taking a confident step forward. "Where did you put your father's flash drive?"

Intuition told me it was time to lie my ass off. "What flash drive?" I asked, narrowing in on my befuddled emotion to sound convincing. "What are you talking about?" I continued with the questions. This was looking more plausible by the second. "Why are you doing this to me? Where's my dad? Let me go!"

Katsumi snapped her crimson painted fingers. One of her goons rammed a fist into my stomach. The air in my lungs whooshed quietly out of me. Panic grasped for dominance as seconds ticked on by and I couldn't gather any oxygen. Finally, a gasp racked my body and I choked on the sweet taste of it in my lungs again.

A moan escaped me when Katsumi forced my head up by a finger under my chin. She made a _tsk_ sound, shaking her head like a disappointed school teacher. "Daniel, Daniel, Daniel" she cooed my name. "Didn't your father ever teach you not to lie to adults? Now, tell dear old Katsumi where the flash drive is."

I had already planned on lying again and telling her Vlad had it. Her attempt to beat the truth out of me was rather stupid. Vlad had already learned long ago that pain is a hard motivator for me. Katsumi was behind in this knowledge. And now she was acting all motherly superior. All it did was put the rebellious anger back in me.

"Go to hell, lady," I spat into her face.

Katsumi's grin vanished from her lips and was replaced with an expression of wild rage. She gave an infuriated shriek as she slapped me hard across the face. The imprint of her hand on my skin stung after the strike. I avoided looking back into her eyes. Her emotion of fury could be felt clearly from where I stood. It was thick and consuming.

Guess I should have expected this kind of reaction. I was rather rude. Still, I wasn't going to take it back. This crazy woman deserved those words. It was obvious to me now that she wasn't on my side. Somehow I knew she was being sneaky. I just couldn't figure out why.

"Your father will know where the flash drive is," Katsumi said in something close to a growl. I watched her wearily. Her tone told me we were coming to a conclusion. As she whipped out her cellphone, she told me, "And I'm sure his son will make perfect bait."

Grinning, the lady said something to her goons in Japanese. She hardly watched me as one of them hit me on the back of my head with something blunt and heavy. Grunting, I pitched forward. The aches in my body dulled. Darkness overwhelmed my vision.

I must have been out before I even reached the kitchen floor.

A/N: It's getting interesting now. Nothing goes right for poor ol' Danny. This is like, what? The fourth time he's been kidnapped? Keeps adding up. Well, it's all gonna come down to my next chapter. Yay for finale chapter! It will be long too, so it might be a few days late. Hope you guys don't mind. I just don't like splitting up finales.

Wow. I only have like two chapters to go. -gets tearful- But I've been having too much fun. Gonna miss this fic. See you guys next chapter in two weeks.


	23. Chapter 23 Defeating Mountains

A/N: It's the big, finale chapter! -dances- Ah, such a fun chapter! I hope you awesome, faithful readers will enjoy it as much as I did writing it. And it's also really long, so I'd better leave you guys to reading it.

Disclaimer: You'd have to be delusional, like Katsumi, if you believe I own this show.

Chapter 23 Defeating Mountains

Well, this sucked. Obviously. When was it ever a good thing when my lights were knocked out? Lately I'd been experiencing much of the passing out and coming to sensation. Seriously, I should have gotten a bad concussion by now. Instead, my thick head prevented this from happening, and my bad luck only grew.

Coming to for what seemed like the thousandth time, I was greeted with the regular gonna-puke-my-stomach-out feeling that comes after waking up from a successful lights out session. The feeling didn't last long. The burning throbbing in my leg took care of it promptly. The pain forced a strangled groan out of my dry throat. My head lolled back as I sucked it up with a wince. This was not how I liked waking up.

Gritting my teeth together in endurance, I took in my new surroundings. A set of handcuffs secured me to a worn wooden chair. I flexed my fingers and experimented with the tightness of the fetters. No use. No amount of wiggling was gonna get me out of 'em.

A quick glance around the room told me nothing about my location. It was small, bare, and windowless. The only piece of furniture in it was my chair. The walls didn't have wallpaper or paint. The floor was cold, hard cement. The door was metal and boring. A lone, naked lightbulb hung from the ceiling. It cast a harsh light into the tiny room. Looking at it hurt my eyes. Besides those things, there was nothing. Not the warmest of rooms.

I continued with my visual expedition of myself. Grimacing, I looked at the leg that was giving me so much trouble. An ugly burn mark could be seen through my torn jeans on the side of my right leg where it had been shot. It itched and burned, but it wasn't as bad as the rippling pain from the device that had electrocuted me. The thick needle was still stuck deep into the same leg. Any kind of movement gave me stabs of intense pain.

What didn't help was the fact that I stunk to high heavens. The layers of mud that had stuck to my clothes were now dry and putrid smelling. My hoodie had been removed at some point while I'd been out, but it didn't help because I was sweaty. My shoes were also gone. There's something vulnerable about not having shoes. Don't ask me why.

A fretful sigh escaped me as the heavy weight of my problems were finally dumped on me. I slumped against the chair, closing my eyes because the light was giving me a headache. Just when you think things couldn't get any worse. Now this. Life sucks.

"I'm gonna kill Vlad when this is over," I growled finally. This was his fault, you know.

The twist of the doorknob woke me out of my pensiveness. I opened my eyes while lifting my head, fully alert all of the sudden. Katsumi Tanaka strolled like a playful cat into the room. She was dressed now in a black pencil skirt and silk red blouse. She looks good in red. It matched her lipstick and nails. How girls manage to plan ahead and choreograph their entire wardrobe to match each day is a mystery to me.

Katsumi left the door open. She struck a casual pose with a hand on her hip in front of me. Her eyes traveled up and down my smelly, pitiable figure and smirked. I watched her in silence. I didn't want to say anything. What was the use? I was close to giving up on it all.

"You look perfect for the part of poor little kidnapped Danny," Katsumi said after a full examination of me. "Your father won't know what to do with himself when he sees you looking like this. Foolish man. He knew better than to bring his only son with him on this trip."

I wanted to spit back at her that she was delusional if she still believed I was Vlad's son, but I bit down on my tongue and remained silent. 'Cause silence is golden and all. At this point being golden seemed like a good option for me, if you know what I mean.

"Aw, Danny-kun, don't look so upset," Katsumi cooed. She flashed me one of her dazzling smiles that looked rather sinister in the light now. She brushed my wet, greasy hair out of my face with a warm hand and purred, "You look so cute when you're angry. Did you know that?"

I put on my best scowl and remained wordless.

"Not speaking to me?" she asked. Her perfectly plucked eyebrows rose into her smooth forehead. "The silent treatment, is it?" She sighed theatrically and walked around the chair so she stood right behind me. I didn't like sensing her there. It put my nerves on edge. Having crazy people standing behind you is like that.

My muscles instinctively tightened when she placed her hands on my shoulders. "You're very tense," she observed out loud. No kidding. I was handcuffed to a chair with the year's favorite lunatic preparing to pawn me off to my arch enemy for a flash drive on a golem. Yeah. You could say I was tense.

"Do not worry, Danny-kun. Your father is on his way to pick you up. Such a shame that he had to bring you into our personal dispute. I rather liked you," Katsumi continued as she massaged my shoulders. It did nothing to calm me down. All it did was make me want to jump up and bolt out of there. I got by with a shudder that went unnoticed as Katsumi rambled on and on and on and...well, you get the picture.

Jeez, she was crazy. At least Vlad was crazy and brilliant, so he had some way of hiding his inner fruit loop alter ego. But this woman was completely bonkers. It was disturbing.

Ironically, the subject of levels of deranged people gave me an idea.

"What's so important about that stupid flash drive anyways?" I asked in a grumble. I tried making it sound like I was pissed that it got me in this situation rather than interested in the actual subject.

"Oh, you poor thing," Katsumi exclaimed in overdramatic sympathy. "You've suffered blindly for the sake of your father. You must love him greatly."

Funny. She should have been a stand up comedic rather than a drug dealer. I wasn't thinking about her potential career paths at the time, though, because she was running her fingers through my gritty hair like I was her new pet or something. It was creepy, and I was having a hard time not freaking out. My hands curled into fists as I tolerated the eerie sensation snaking down my spine at her touch.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt if I told you the truth. You would have gotten it out of your father at some point," Katsumi said. My heart rate seemed to sky rocket when I felt her arms wrap around my neck and drape over my shoulders. Her face was right behind my ear. Her breath was thick and smothering as she asked in a whisper, "Would you like to hear a little secret?"

My eyes stared desperately at the far wall. My silence prompted her to continue. She gave a giggle while switching her position so that her head was at my other ear. For a brief moment I wondered if this stupid suspense would be worth it. She proved this to be true a second later.

Katsumi's soft voice held a nefarious flare hidden in it as she said slowly with relish, "_I'm_ the master of the golem."

My stomach twisted in the horror behind these words. I had to gulp down a thick lump stuck inside my throat as I forced myself to stay together. It was hard to breathe suddenly.

This sucked! Why the hell would she have attacked her own shipment? Who sent those ghost hunters after us? Why would she ever want to hurt Vlad? She had wanted to marry him for Pete's sake! How could it have been Katsumi Tanaka? Sure, she was loony from the beginning, but this didn't make any sense!

Then, after a second for thought, the reasons came. The strike on her own shipment was a set up. A show for Vlad and I. That ship probably didn't hold an ounce of drugs. She sent those ghost hunters after us. Katsumi was the only one who knew that we had gone to Prague. The part about Vlad and her liking each other; I knew for sure Vlad didn't return the emotion. Love can do weird things to people. Katsumi's odd actions were proving this theory. It did make sense. Too bad I'd never had the smarts to make heads or tails of it in the first place. Now I was in a crap load of trouble.

"You don't seemed so socked," Katsumi stated with disappointment. She turned my head to the side so she could look at me properly. I tried my hardest to look impassive or secretive, but Vlad had unfortunately never taught me that trick of the trade. The fear was clear on my face as I stared into her grinning, malicious features.

A quiet knock on the door made Katsumi look up. One of her thugs loomed in the doorway. The two exchanged words in rapid Japanese before Katsumi took a step back and the man came lumbering in. He came behind me and unlocked the handcuffs so I could stand up. The second I did so, I wish I hadn't. My leg gave me a spasm of pain to the point I practically fell to my knees. The thug caught me by the arm before I could and forced me into an upright position. To my dismay, he secured the cuffs again and dragged me out the door immediately behind Miss Tanaka.

Outside was an empty warehouse like the one with the shipping containers Toushiro interrogated me in. Maybe a little bit smaller. I didn't have the time to take in my surroundings, really. I was too busy bearing the pain in my leg.

Katsumi's high heeled shoes made echoing _pocks_ as she strode purposefully out into the blazing, heavy lighting of the warehouse. The thug brought me along, ignoring every attempt I made to get away. He'd either tighten his hold on my arm, cutting off my circulation, or yank me off balance.

Finally, the woman came to a confident halt in the middle of the warehouse and watched as I stumbled with a pained grunt beside her. My leg felt like it had fire burning through it. The thug let me go, but I was only to be taken into Katsumi's hands. She latched onto one of my shoulders and steered me so I stood in front of her. The thug left. I didn't really know what was going on. What else was new?

Then, with a laden, sinking heart, I watched Vlad Plasmius phase through the floor only a yard in front of us. I was internally dreading that knowing smirk of his when he saw me like this. My promise to fix things myself had seriously gone awry. I wondered if he'd be smug or disappointed with me. Which one would be worse?

It turned out I didn't have to worry too much about these things. Vlad had already planned ahead like he's always done. When his ghostly figure rippled into view, he was holding the arm of a hostage. Who it was, I wasn't quite sure. I kinda had a feeling who it was, but I was in denial, really. She had a bag over her head, her hands tied together with a thick rope, and a gag preventing her dire screams from making sense. But boy did she struggle! I'd say she was pretty furious about being used like an item. I wanted to welcome her to the club.

"Vlad, how kind of you to join us," Katsumi said playfully. Her voice held a tint of bitterness hidden in it that I'm sure Vlad caught. "But you didn't have to bring your little friend, here." She indicated the mysterious hostage girl with a hand. "You know what I'm trading your son for. Now where is it?"

"I don't have it, Katsumi," Vlad stated. His cold gaze rested on me. Puzzlement briefly flashed across his features before he said, "I gave it to Danny days ago. It's on him somewhere. Maybe you didn't search him thoroughly enough."

"I did search him," Katsumi snapped irritably back at the impassive man. "He doesn't have it." Vlad glanced at me again and raised an eyebrow in slight mockery. The woman dug her hands into my shoulders as she demanded sharply, "Don't you dare deride me, Vlad Masters."

"Isn't it clear to you?" Vlad asked, aiming an impressed smirk quickly in my direction. "The boy has hidden it somewhere. You won't get the location of it out of me. Try asking him where he put it."

"Where is it, Danny-kun?" Katsumi's sing song voice pestered me as she leaned in close. "You can tell Miss Tanaka, can't you? I told you my secret, now you can share yours."

"I-I don't have it," I lied with a feeble shake of my head.

"Don't play coy with me, child," Katsumi said; her overly sweet voice and smile wavered in her frustration.

"You won't get it out of him like that," Vlad said with a chuckle. He shook his head sadly and grinned at the woman. "Trust me, my friend. That one's persistent and obstinate when he wants to be."

"Then what do you suggest is the right motive?" Katsumi asked with a sticky sweet smile. Her fingers lightly rested on the spot on my shoulder that both Toushiro and Vlad had used to get things out of me by pressing into the right muscles. "Pain, perhaps?"

I had already gritted my teeth with the forewarning of agony, but that pressure point is brutal. As my muscles seemed to bunch and burn, a strangled cry escaped me. It wasn't till she let me go and I was staring at the ground gasping for breath that I realized she was demanding for the location of the flash drive again. I said nothing. That flash drive she was so crazy about probably had incriminating evidence on there that she needed to destroy. If I gave it away, she'd have all the freedom in the world to kill Vlad and I off with her golem.

"You can do that all day, Katsumi, and it won't do a thing in your favor," I heard Vlad say languidly. "I should know. Don't believe me? Look at the bruises that are already there."

Katsumi stretched the collar of my shirt so she could see my shoulder. The bruises that Toushiro had created were still there; purplish, if I remember correctly what I saw in the mirror that morning. With sudden disgust, Katsumi let my collar go, grabbed a handful of my hair, and held me out in front of her for critical display.

"Why would you hurt your own son?" she asked, trying not to growl as she saw the tables turn. "Is he even your son?"

"No," Vlad said with a winning smile. "We're not related in the least bit." His voice turned serious again as he switched the conversation to business. "Now," he continued, "we have a trade to resume. You have a boy I've assumed responsibility over, and I have someone of somewhat importance to you."

Vlad removed the sack on his hostage's head and threw it to the side. My heart leapt in fear and joy at the sight of her angry, contorted face. It was Ran.

Then something hit me. I looked straight at Vlad and snarled at him, "You knew!" He looked down at me with interest. Katsumi tightened her hold on my hair as I lunged forward and yelled at the horrible man, "You knew about her this entire time! You set me up! You knew all this would happen!"

"Quiet!" Katsumi shouted at me with a violent yank of my hair. The force of the pull pushed me off balance. I gave a small yelp as I fell to my butt in front of the woman. That hurt. My leg didn't like me for the dumb move. "What is he talking about? What does he mean?" Katsumi asked Vlad.

"I have no idea what he's blabbering on about," Vlad said, feinting confusion for Katsumi while simultaneously giving me a chilling glare with the firm command to shut my mouth. Reluctantly, I obeyed. He'd better have a good excuse for this when I was busy beating him to a pulp later.

"It doesn't matter, I suppose," Katsumi stated with confidence. "I don't know this girl you have. Why would she be of any importance to me?" She pulled on my hair, and I tilted my head side to side in tolerance.

I wasn't really noticing anything. My mind was working furiously. Now that Ran was here, why not bring out the golem, have the girl finish it off, and be done with it all? It sounded logical and simple. The only problem to that plan was getting Katsumi to feel the need to conjure rocky up for us. How was that gonna happen?

"Don't lie to me, Katsumi," Vlad scoffed with a smirk. It was one of his all-knowing smirks that just irks me. "Admit it. You've lost whatever game you've been playing here. This is your only daughter you abandoned at the age of one. At least do something good for her and trade the boy. If not, I'm afraid I'll have to kill her."

Ran stiffened in fear when hearing this news. All this time she was trying to repress the emotion with anger. I knew that technique. I've used it. It wasn't working so well for her. She looked absolutely petrified. Poor girl. She never wanted this. She had literally walked away from it hours ago, and now it was back to bite her in the butt. Funny how fate so often likes to work against you. Ran was getting a high dosage of it today.

"You don't have the guts," Katsumi spat at the smiling man. She put a hand on her hip and gazed at him with half lidded eyes of indifference. Not good. I didn't like where this was going.

"Don't challenge me, woman," Vlad said sternly. His eyes narrowed into dangerous slits when all Katsumi did was frown disapprovingly at him. Did she really not care about her daughter? I knew Vlad well enough by now to know that he'd have no trouble killing Ran off. Katsumi had to know this too. This was insane!

"Do something!" I shouted up at Katsumi. She looked down at me with mild interest and raised one of her eyebrows. "Don't you understand? He's going to kill her!" I yelled, as if a louder voice would be able to make my point clearer for her. "Don't you care?"

"No, I don't care," Katsumi said with contempt. "Ran was part of another life. That life was a mistake. It should have never happened. If it just so happens that the only evidence of that life is wiped away, so be it."

"A mistake? What a load of crap!" I yelled. Righteous anger flooded my veins. I was halfway through some kind of monologue before I realized I was even speaking. "So Vlad didn't love or marry you, so what? Get over it, lady! That's life! You liked Izumi and you had a beautiful kid with him. You gave up all that happiness just so you could pursue your childhood fantasy with Vlad? Look where it has taken you! Your love is an evil ghost psycho path, and he's ready to kill your daughter for a kid he's not even related to! Doesn't this seem wrong to you? Don't you - argh - no!"

Katsumi had planted her foot on the back of my head. She ground the stiletto into my skin as she forced my forehead against the cement ground. With my hands cuffed behind me, I was helpless at stopping anything that was going to happen next. I even tried going ghost. The rings had hardly appeared before the device in my leg activated and electrocuted them away. The action left me breathless and terrified.

"Go ahead, Vlad," Katsumi told the heartless ghost. "Kill her so we can be through with this. What are you? Afraid? Is it just now sinking in that you don't have the upper hand anymore?"

I heard the distinct sound of a gun being cocked. Vlad wouldn't be able to kill Ran with any of his ghost powers. He knew this. How he even put up with the burning sensation while in ghost form near Ran was beyond me. The man had always possessed an incredible amount of endurance, but that would not be enough if he so dared as to try and touch her with his ghost powers. That's why he had brought the gun.

There was a pause. I couldn't see what was going on. Ran screamed through her gag. She was seconds away from dying and I could do nothing in my power to stop it!

"No!" I screamed.

_Bam!_

Everyone seemed to jump in the startle of the intruding sound of the warehouse door being burst open. Because of my up close and personal view of the warehouse floor, I didn't know exactly what happened these next few seconds. I heard Vlad mutter excitedly under his breath, "Excellent timing." Someone screamed. There was an explosion of a gun shot followed by a pained grunt. Running footsteps vibrated the floor beside me.

Through the chaos, I managed to keep my head together and act. Katsumi's heel let up on my head. I seized the opportunity by twisting my body into an awkward angle. My fingertips gripped the head of the pin inside my leg keeping my powers at bay. Grimacing, I yanked the device out in one pull. It was covered with my own blood. Sick.

The warehouse was in an awkward pause when I stowed the pointy object away from sight by covering it up with both my hands. I looked up in surprise to see Sam and Toushiro standing stationed between Katsumi and Vlad. Ran was watching the scene unfold with just as much shock as me. Katsumi and Toushiro were screaming at each other in Japanese. Plasmius was pulling out a small dagger from his shoulder, scowling menacingly at the new pair of heroes who had hindered his aim. Who had he shot at?

"Sam! What are you two doing here?" I asked in bewilderment.

"We're saving your butt. What does it look like?" Sam shot back with an unconvincing smile.

"Is it working?" I asked, grinning despite the hostel situation.

"I'll get back to you on that later," Sam said acidly. She was still taking this mighty seriously. I should have been having the same mentality, but I saw a lot of upsides now that Ran wasn't in danger of dying. All the players of the game were here. Only thing we needed now was the golem, and I had a pretty good idea on how to bring it out.

The sound of Vlad's gun being cocked again made everyone look at him in sudden alarm. Toushiro didn't wait for any warning shot. He grabbed a knife from its holder slung around his shoulder and flicked it deftly at the ghost.

Plasmius expected this kind of attack and was already dodging swiftly before the pointy object even hit the air. He aimed his gun in my direction. A sharp yelp mingled with the sound of gun fire as the floor beside me was hit with a bullet. I jabbed a dirty look at Vlad. He returned the glare with a hurried nod; then he vanished with the use of his ghost powers. A dagger hit the concrete where he had been a split second later.

He was trying to tell me to do something. I didn't know what he wanted or if it was in my best intentions to do what he told me. Then it dawned on me. He wanted me to do what I originally planned. Strange. Were we on the same page?

Disregarding everything that was going on, the shouts, gun shots, and screams; I gathered my feet under me and bolted to my right. As I sprung to my feet, I plunged the sharp device I'd been secretly holding into Miss Tanaka's thigh with a grunt of ardor. The woman's scream spit the air the second the rings of power coursed around my body.

The handcuffs were the first things to dispose of. I threw them with gusto to the floor as I blasted high into the air with a grin itching to make its way to my lips. It was time for some action! After all the crap that had happened, I was fully ready to hit something. Hard.

From my higher perspective, I could see the entire battle field. The only problem was that nobody was fighting anymore. They were all looking devastatingly at something behind me.

The golem was behind me, wasn't it? Aw, crud.

I created an ectoplasm shield with the wave of my hand as I spun around in mid air to face my rocky adversary. The inhuman, austere eyes of the golem bore right into me. Even with my ghost shield for protection, I still felt the premonition chill as it slunk down my spine.

The golem raised a rocky fist and struck me head on. My shield was like the flimsy wisps of a spiderweb. The fist broke right through it and slammed heavily into my unprotected body.

Next thing I knew, I was gasping for my breath on the ground. More like _in_ the ground. My body was in a self-created crater of broken cement and dirt. I was in human form and hurting. Bad. I could hardly breathe. Every intake of air created flashes of white hot pain in my side. I think a few of my ribs had cracked.

"Danny!" Sam screamed as she ran up beside me. I felt her hands wrap around my forearm as she asked worriedly, "Are you going to be okay? Say something!"

"My...side...hurts," I groaned through gasps for air. "This is...not what I...planned. Obviously."

Sam released a pent up sigh. Her touch was warm and comforting. It gave me the strength to slowly sit up. Wincing, I viewed the scene unfolding before us through narrowed eyes.

Toushiro was making sure his panic-ridden niece was safe. With one of his knives, he cut through her rope binds as she spoke hurriedly with him in Japanese. Her wide, fearful eyes were like the ball on a ping-pong table. They bounced back and forth from me to the golem.

Plasmius was up to his neck in trouble with the boulder-like creature. The rock monster had the ghost set in its sights and was not backing down for a second. It lunged for the specter, always coming inches away from meeting its mark. Good thing Vlad was quick, or he'd be toast already.

The most disturbing sight wasn't the golem, though. It was Katsumi. She was slowly pulling out the needle that I'd lodged into her leg just a minute ago. A wild look was shimmering in her green eyes now. A maniacal laugher floated from her lips and echoed sharply off the warehouse walls. While on one side, my plan to use pain to induce the golem from her worked; on the flip side, maybe I'd bitten off more than I could chew. There was just something discomfiting about her hysterical laughter that sent up red flags inside my head.

"Maybe if you go ghost the pain won't be so great," Sam suggested.

"Good idea," I murmured with a small smile. "Having no bones can come in handy sometimes, huh?" Sam rolled her eyes, but I caught the relieved grin on her lips as I forced the rings to change me.

Her advice worked like a charm. As the cool chill descended into every region in my body with the transformation, the pain subsided into a dull throb. I got to my feet with Sam's help, wobbling unsteadily for a second before gaining the balance and strength I needed.

"Perfect," I said with a grimace. "We have Ran, and now the golem. All we have to do now is get her to grab the scroll out of its mouth, then we can call it a day."

"Oh, that doesn't sound dangerous or hard at all," Sam said with deadpan sarcasm. Her eyebrows furrowed together in concerned pondering. "Any suggestions?" she asked me finally.

"Well...I...no," I concluded with a slump of my shoulders. I'd only thought ahead a few steps. Truthfully, I didn't believe I'd get this far. I'm pretty sure Vlad had a lecture for this kind of mistake. You know, he probably had a plan already made.

A grin split across my features at the thought. "I might not have a plan at the second," I told Sam, "but I'm sure ol' Vladdy has one. Try talking to Ran and get her to help us. I'm gonna talk to the fruit loop."

"You sure?" Sam asked with uncertainty. She glanced at Vlad with a look of pure disgust.

"Not really," I shrugged. "But its worth a shot." I didn't wait for a reaction. I created a small ghost shield around my eyes before flying off in the direction Vlad was as he still held off the golem. My eyes glowed a furious blue as I summoned my ice abilities and shot a ray of the cold power at the golem's feet. The frosty material instantly froze the monster to the ground.

"So nice of you to join me, Daniel," Vlad smirked as I hovered by his side. The golem was pitching a roaring fit because he couldn't move. The ice wouldn't last long, but it would give Vlad and I some time to talk without interruption.

"Look, I'll just get to the point," I grumbled. "You got a plan?"

Plasmius chuckled at this question. His wicked grin widened before he pointed out with mocking conviction, "Now, Daniel, I thought it was you who wanted to run the show. You found the only person who could defeat the golem, the master of the golem, and now the actual golem. Finally, you brought us all here together. You must have something cooking in that tiny brain of yours."

My scowl wavered in irresolution. "No," I said with hesitancy. "That was all you. You played us all. You knew who Ran was before I did. You knew giving me the flash drive would make Katsumi come after me. This is none of my doing."

Vlad regarded me with an impressed raised eyebrow and folded his arms across his chest. "Flattery will get you nowhere, boy," he jeered. "And though you are correct in assuming it was me who orchestrated this into happening, I still have to congratulate you in being smart enough to hide the flash drive. If you had it on you, I'm not sure you would have survived the hour. Katsumi is more disgruntled than I originally predicted."

"Great. I learned something useful on this ridiculous trip with you. Can we move on already and discuss what we're gonna do about _that_?" I jabbed a forefinger at the golem and pinned the man with a serious scowl.

"Impatient as always," Vlad sighed tauntingly. His eyes seemed to savor the look of loathing I shot at him. He finally resigned to coming to a point and said, "The plan is simple, Daniel. You convince the girl to destroy the golem. When Katsumi sees that she has lost, she will make a run for it. I'll be the one to go after her. Your job will be to retrieve that flash drive and bring it to me so I can destroy it. It's better if we keep this debacle under the rug, if you know what I mean."

"And what if Ran doesn't want to help us?" I asked pointedly.

"That won't happen," Vlad said with honest conviction. "She's attached to you; although, she's too proud to admit it. If you sum up another one of your sappy, sentimental speeches and give it to her, she'll do whatever you tell her to do."

"Yeah, but what if she doesn't help us?" I asked again, but this time with more edge in my voice. He had to have a backup plan. He was Vlad Masters. He _always_ had a backup plan.

Vlad reached out and grabbed my chin with his hand. He brought my face close to his, saying confidently, "Don't worry, my dear boy. You're still under my control. I wouldn't let anything happen to you." He patted my cheek and chuckled at my look of resentment. "Now go do what I told you to do," he ordered in a firm but carefree manner.

"I'm not doing this for you, Vlad," I seethed into the man's smiling face, trying to make my point clear. "I'm doing this for - hey, what's going on?"

Vlad and I froze as our world was bathed in red. Transparent red walls built themselves out of thin air all around the warehouse. My stomach sunk in realization just as the ceiling of red was complete. I'd seen this before. Chan-man had used it on me in our first battle together.

"I've upgraded those ghost hunter's force field," Katsumi's voice rung out loud and clear across the warehouse floor. She had captured everyone's attention now. She stood confidently outside the area of doom, holding the familiar remote for the force field. The lady smiled wily at her captured audience before saying, "It keeps humans _and_ ghosts inside."

"That evil wrench," Vlad hissed under his breath in displeasure. I glanced at the man. His red eyes were narrowed in furious unease. That wasn't good.

"Oh, Vlad, I'm afraid you've played your last game," Katsumi addressed the ghost with cruel and evident enjoyment in her tone. Her eyes shined with a fury I'd never seen before. "I gave up my entire life for you," she seethed. "My career, my friends, my parent's respect. Everything I had and held dear I gave up for your love.

"And you know what you did to it all? You connived and crafted lies of love to me until I was ready and willing to marry you. Then one day you showed your true colors and betrayed everything you made me believe in like it was all some sick joke or game to you.

"Was I amusing, Vlad? Did you laugh yourself silly at the look on my face when you told me you weren't interested in our relationship and you wanted to pursue the dead end career as ghost hunter? Was that game fun?"

"You were delusional, impressional, foolish, and young," Vlad responded with indifference. "You didn't see any of the signs that I was not interested in you. It was a beginner's mistake. You are mentally ill if you believe that a simple break up is what caused you to send a powerful supernatural being to ravish the city of Tokyo."

"No! You're doing it again! You're making it look like this is all my fault," Katsumi screamed up at the frowning ghost. Her voice was hysterical with years of pain and bitterness. For a split second I almost felt sorry for the hurting women.

"You're the one who created the golem. You're the one who lured me here," Vlad spat back in response. He sounded tired of the conversation; it was eventually going to get him nowhere.

"Because of you!" Katsumi yelled, jabbing an angry and accusatory forefinger up in his direction. Then a sick, twisted smile contorted her face into one of wicked glee. "Tonight I'm going to turn the tables on you, Vlad," she giggled. "You've played your game with me this entire time, but what you might not have known was that I was playing a game of my own. For years you have won. Not tonight. Tonight you're going to lose. Tonight you're going to die."

Vlad didn't say anything. He knew nothing he could say could change her mind. Katsumi Tanaka was too far gone. Her mind was so bent and twisted that no amount of logic or persuasion was going to straighten it out. It was kinda sad, really. I mean, I'd feel more sorry for her if she wasn't ready to kill us all off with Vlad. Unfortunately, the others inside the force field were considered food for the fodder. There was a limit of pity I gave someone who didn't care if I died or not.

"Golem, I order you to kill everyone in the warehouse!" Katsumi commanded her monster with relish. As if in an afterthought she glanced over to her stunned looking brother and said offhandedly, "Sorry, Toushiro, that you got yourself caught up in this. Hopefully you'll understand my pain in the afterlife."

"You can't do this, Katsumi!" Toushiro shouted direly after her. "This is crazy!"

Katsumi acted like she'd never heard his words. Her long, ebony hair whipped around her as she turned on her heels and stalked off away from the scene. Her powerful walk was like a model's. Just give her a tail and she'd the perfect picture of a proud and satisfied cat after a good meal. Now she was going to bask in the sun of her own success and glory.

The warehouse door slammed closed behind the woman with a deafening bang.

"We need Ran to destroy the golem now, Daniel," Plasmius told me quickly. I blinked at him. I think I was still in some sort of shock of what had just happened. "Go!" he sharply ordered.

"Right!" I said, awaking from my daze of astonishment. A vigorous shake of my head later and I was flying down to where Toushiro, Sam, and Ran stood well out of the way of the golem. The closer I got to the girl, the more my insides began to burn. Soon I couldn't take the pain and had to change back into a human. I landed on the gritty floor of the warehouse in a crouch beside the three; sweaty, fearful, and weakened.

"What do I have to do?" Ran asked me sourly.

"Wait. You're gonna help us?" I asked. The hopeful smile couldn't be hidden on my face. I really thought that I'd have to argue and persuade her to help us. She was the most stubborn girl I had ever known. This compliance thing was just not like her.

"Only if it doesn't kill me," Ran spat her retort. She had her arms folded in front of her chest, and her dark eyes were narrowed in pure aggravation. Labeling her mood as pissed was closely hitting the mark.

Toushiro and Sam nodded at me to continue to talk to the girl from behind Ran. With their silent go-ahead, I told Ran, "You've got to take the scroll thing out of the golem's mouth. It will destroy it instantly. That's all you've got to do."

"Out of that thing's mouth?" Ran reiterated what I'd just said with uncertainty. "But isn't that fire coming out of it's mouth? That's going to burn me, Danny!"

"No, it won't," I adamantly argued. "You've got the power to be impervious to that thing. It can't hurt you, Ran. Just like how Vlad and I can hardly touch you. I'm in pain the closer I am to you in ghost form. Don't you get it? You're invincible!"

"That golem isn't a ghost, Danny," Ran argued. "How do you know I'll have the same effect on it like on ghosts?"

"Your power works on anything supernatural," I assured her. "Wouldn't you call that golem supernatural?"

"Yes, but...how do you know all this? How do you know so much about me and the golem? It doesn't make any sense!" Ran shouted at me. Like this was all my fault. But I knew better than to retaliate. Her hard voice had wavered. She was scared. Really scared.

"Look, Ran," I told her quietly, "I don't have the time to discuss this with you. You don't do this, everyone's going to die. I...I know you're afraid. We all are. But that doesn't matter right now. I'm going to fight the golem because that's my job and my responsibility. That's what comes with having powers. You got a power too. Decide what you're going to do with it soon, will ya?"

I turned and addressed Sam and Toushiro when I told them, "If she gets her nerve back and decides to help us, she'll need your help getting to the mouth of the golem. Vlad and I will be able to distract it just long enough, but you guys are gonna have to back her up. Got that?"

Sam nodded. Her eyes were narrowed and set. She was in her warrior mood like I'd seen her so many times when we ghost fought back home in Amity Park. How come it looked so hott to me? I had to repress a wave of hormones. It was quite sad. Here we were seconds away from death, and I was having trouble not melting from a simple look in my best friend's eyes.

"Good luck, kid," Toushiro said. "You look like you need it." His trademark wry grin was displayed on his face for me. I smiled back. I liked the guy. He was like the cool uncle I'd always wanted but never had.

"Yeah, good call," I shot back at the man. "Thanks for the save back there."

"Don't thank me just yet," he said seriously. He pointed behind me. My head turned faster than the rest of my body. What I saw sent a rushing flame of adrenaline and fear through my veins. The golem was opening its mouth, and a small orange sphere of destruction was ready to be unleashed.

There was no time for instructions. I flashed into ghost mode and grasped desperately for the cool power storing up inside of me. The wall of ice manifested itself with a thrust of my palms. With little control I had over my ice powers, I shaped the wall to be curved and thick.

I'd reacted just in time. I was still creating the icy defense when the explosion happened. The first massive heat wave practically melted the entire wall. With all my strength I was able to pour the chilling power out of my palms and keep the barrier intact.

"That was...impressive," Toushiro said, having trouble coming up with the words to describe my power. He stepped toward me, asking, "You alright, kid?"

"Fine," I panted, terribly winded. I had hardly any strength left. The golem was zapping my power supply clean at this rate. I glanced back at the three. They all looked like they had gone through a monsoon or a water ride at an amusement park. Water dripped off their hair and clothes, making them sopping wet. At least my ice wall had worked; that's all I'm gonna say.

"Stay out of the way for now," I told them. I tried not to look at Ran. Her near presence was making my insides bubble with lava. Felt like I was having a heatstroke. No wonder I felt so weak. "And run for cover any time you see the golem open its mouth like that. It means another one of those explosions are gonna happen."

"We'll be fine, Danny," Sam reassured me. "Just be careful, okay?"

"You know me," I confidently returned her question. "I'll be fine. But if I don't make it, kill the fruit loop for me." Sam was torn between a sigh and a smile as I left her with a push off with my feet. It wasn't just Ran's powers that was making me warm on the inside.

Vlad was looking worse for wear when I flew up to his side. I knew how he felt. Fighting the golem was tough. Just looking at it made you feel weaker. That thing was nothing like either of us had ever fought. Ghosts were pieces of cake compared to the golem.

"What'd you do to make it so upset, Plasmius?" I asked the man with an obnoxious grin. "Called it a pebble?"

"Adorable," Vlad replied flatly. "You through bothering to be exhaustingly humorous?"

"Come on, V-man," I goaded successfully, "you know that was a good one." I flew backwards and watched with wide eyes as the golem's fist came inches away from hitting Vlad and I.

"Maybe I should have taught you more on witty banter," Vlad sighed. A cunning smile crossed his features as he had an afterthought and added, "But it's a lost cause, really."

"Thanks," I muttered sarcastically.

"You brought that one upon yourself, boy," Vlad pointed out. He grabbed me by my jumpsuit collar and yanked me out of the way of another strike from the golem that I hadn't seen coming. I gave a startled gasp. The craggy surface of the golem's fist rushed like a speeding bus past my head. That had been too close.

"Thanks," I stammered the word again. This time I meant it.

"Look alive, Daniel," Vlad chided me. "This is no time for your heroic and arrogant behavior." We dove our separate ways here to avoid a mad swipe; then we came back long enough for Vlad to tell me, "From watching your previous battle with the golem, I figured out what makes it angry and frustrated. Don't pelt it with your powers. That makes it angry. Let it come close to hitting you. If it doesn't see progress in its attacks, it gets frustrated. You know what happens if it becomes either of the two emotions."

"It lets out one of those explosion things," I said, nodding. "Got it."

"Do you?" Vlad asked me with a devious smile.

"Watch me, cheese head," I said as I blazed past the man with hands the glimmering color of emerald. Like I suspected, the vivid color attracted the golem's attention. Its eyes steadily followed me as I flew at top speed around its massive, rocky form. Suddenly, I went into a dive and slipped through the feet of the golem. Coming up from the dive, I threw a snowball into the golem's turning face, laughing as I went.

My fun didn't last long. I hightailed it out of there as soon as I saw the golem's expression of aggravation. Gasping, I rushed backwards. The fingertips of the monster brushed the fabric of my jumpsuit as it grasped angrily for my fleeting form.

The world of red darkened when I got close to the force field wall. The golem was still lunging for me. At the last possible second, when I could literally feel the buzz coming off the transparent enclosure, I put on a burst of speed and darted to my left like one of those pesky houseflies you can never seem to smash fast enough.

The golem's fist slammed heavily into the force field just as I dashed away. I was too busy getting out of there to see what happened next. All I knew was that there was a loud sound of crackling electricity, the rock monster gave a roar, and there was a small explosion. It propelled me forward with a whirl of smoke. Fumbling for stability, I crashed into Vlad's shoulder. He hung onto me until I regained my balance in mid air.

"Do that again," Plasmius said. I was surprised to hear a tinge of awe in his voice.

"Do what?" I asked, a hand on my reeling head.

"The golem's touch destabilized the force field," Vlad explained. He tapped his chin with a forefinger in thought as he continued. "It was made for ghosts and other supernatural creatures, but the golem's rare signature must confuse the coding. If the golem hits the force field enough, it might break it completely."

"I don't think it wants to stick it's hand in the force field again," I pointed out. It was obvious from the rumbling growl the golem produced that it wasn't happy with almost getting it's fist blasted off. It was smart enough to avoid another collision with the crimson wall.

"Then you and I will have to trick it like you did before," Vlad said. I looked up at him, unsure. He noticed my silence and glanced down at me, one of his sly smiles curling the corner of his lips. "Don't look so dubious, boy," he said. "The golem isn't as smart as you believe it to be. It hardly has a brain. All it does is follow orders."

"It can shoot explosives out of its mouth too," I pointed out with a bitter smile. "And just as a reminder to your black void of a heart, there are others in this force field who could get hurt. But you don't really care about them, do you?"

Plasmius sighed deeply in his exasperation with me. "You care too much," he flat out told me.

"You don't care enough," I countered in defiance.

We locked narrowed eyes and glared at each other as if our hardened expressions could finish the agreement all by themselves. Our eyes battled it out for a brief second until a certain orange ball was projected at us from the mouth of the golem. I broke off our connection and gave a small yelp of panic and fear before going into action. My ice powers were put on display as I desperately shoved my palms downward at the incoming ball of fury. I worked quickly, pouring the power out at an uncontrollable speed to cut off most of the damage before it had began.

The explosion sizzled past the icy barrier I'd formed. Melted ice and pieces of frozen water plummeted to the warehouse floor. From the other end of the force field, I noticed the surprised expressions of the three humans I'd successfully protected.

"Next time turn intangible," Vlad ordered me. "It will conserve your energy. Your ice abilities diminish a lot of your strength."

"You say that like I don't know," I retorted sharply. Vlad frowned severely at me for the close to snarled response. "I did that to keep the others safe. Not everyone has ghost powers, Vlad."

He opened his mouth to probably scold me, but I realized at that moment that my nerve had been restored and I was going to say what I wanted.

"No. Shut up!" I shouted at the man. Vlad closed his mouth, but he didn't retaliate. I wasn't going to let him anyways. "I'm not gonna let your cold heartedness run this thing. I have a plan, and you're gonna listen to it. It's a good one. It's gonna destroy the golem _and_ get us out of this force field thing. So listen up, 'cause I'm not gonna waste my time on you."

Plasmius stared at me long and hard with a calculating expression in his cold narrowed red eyes. I waited for his answer with growing anxiously. I was the guinea pig again. He was plotting my future like a well played chess game inside his brain at the moment. I didn't like it.

"Very well, Daniel," Vlad said with a charitable smile. "I suppose it takes guts to make it thus far. You're proving to be as impressive as I thought you would be." He reveled in my worried scowl for a few enjoyable seconds before asking, "What is your plan?"

This time it was my turn to grin. "Simple," I said with apparent relish in my voice and expression. "You're the distraction."

The expression he gave me after hearing those words. Priceless.

-Five Minutes Later-

"We're ready, Danny!" Sam called up to me. I smiled down at her and Ran after receiving a thumbs up from the Goth girl.

"Alright, Toushiro and Vlad, go!" I shouted to the two men. Toushiro nodded to me from the ground before running in the direction of the golem. Vlad had a curious look on his face as he flew off to do his part of the plan. I briefly wondered what it meant, but I didn't dwell too long on the subject.

From my stationary position near the warehouse high ceiling, I was able to observe all what happened below. Vlad and Toushiro worked quite nicely with each other as distractions. Plasmius would dart in close to the golem, coming many times inches away from getting totally creamed. At the last second, Toushiro would run close to the distracted golem and throw a knife or two into the rocky hide of the monster. The disturbance would perturb the golem just enough to make it forget Vlad and lunge for the annoying human. Either Toushiro would roll deftly under the golem's legs to safety, wry grin constantly on his face, or Vlad would swiftly interject into the situation and turn both Toushiro and himself intangible and invisible to confuse the golem. Then they would repeat the process. All the while they were getting the golem to move closer and closer to the force field.

"Now, Danny!" Sam shouted my cue when the right time came.

"Please work," I whispered to myself in what sounded like a nervous squeak. This was the only plan I had. If this didn't work, I didn't know what we'd do. It was one of those all or nothing deals.

Inside of me, I once again released the frosty barrier and let the unbridled cool energy flow down and build up in my arms. This time I would control it the best I could. Concentration was key. The golem would have to be completely frozen for this to work. So, with a focused battle cry, I thrust a palm out at the golem below and pushed the power through the ray of cold energy. It struck the rock monster. The tingling of ice sounded in the air. My strength was consumed by the golem and my ability working at full capacity. I stopped only when I felt like I could go no more. The cool core inside me had been drained.

Dizziness threatened to overtake me. Groaning in my vertigo, I floated down to where I'd rendered the golem to a solid block of ice. The five of us stared at my creation for a moment or two, all left alone to our own thoughts.

"Ready?" Vlad asked me, placing a steady hand on my shoulder.

"Well, when this is over, I know where I can get a job for over the summer. I think I'd make a good popsicle stand," I told the man with a faint smile. He didn't look amused. After clearing my throat as if to shake off the awkward silence, I said, "Yeah. I'm ready."

We flew down to the block of ice the golem was frozen in. Nodding to each other, we simultaneously threw our shoulders against the heavy ice chunk. Slowly, at an ever so lethargic pace, the block of ice inched closer to the force field. I had more trouble getting the thing to move than Vlad. My body was running on empty. It was a miracle I hadn't passed out yet.

After some grunts of strain and a lot of hard work from the both of us ghosts, the ice block was positioned where we wanted it. The force field buzzed in excitement as it zapped the one side of the ice. Water collected into a sloppy puddle on the ground from the force field melting it.

Vlad and I retreated a few feet away from the block of ice. We shared nods again before tapping into our ectoplasm energies. I had to grit my teeth tightly together to summon enough of my strength to conjure up enough ectoplasm energy. By my side, Plasmius was easily producing two hands worth of his pink ectoplasm power. He watched me feebly try to do the same.

In unison, Vlad and I blasted the ice block with as much destructive power as both of us could muster. The ice exploded in thick chunks of frozen water. The golem gave an angry and confused roar as the force threw it off balance. It tilted precariously toward the force field before falling right into it. On contact, the red walls of our prison sparked and crackled in discord. The golem bellowed in its pain.

As this all happened, I flew down to where the humans stood and raised a domed ghost shield above all our heads. Just like Vlad had predicted, the force field couldn't take much of the golem. It strained to keep up, but the golem's abundant signature was too much. The entire thing erupted in a dazzle of sparks, flames, and smoke. The red walls faded a few times before vanishing completely. We were free!

"Let's go, Ran!" Sam yelled above the confusion. I saw her run out from under my shield with Ran at her heels. After a quick glance behind him, Toushiro sprinted after the girls.

I would have followed after them, but I somehow couldn't get up from my hands and knees. Each breath was shaky and uneven. I had to close my eyes to keep from fainting as I wavered in my kneeling position on the ground.

A scream awoke me from my previous daze. It felt like my blood had run cold. My eyes flew open. That had been Sam's scream!

I don't know where the energy came from. The next thing I knew, I was blasting forward and into a confusing cloud of thick smoke. Coughing, I searched the dense cloud of smog residue from the explosion. I was desperate. I had to find them. They could all be in danger of the golem. It would be my fault if any of them got hurt. I was the one who came up with this harebrained plan.

Another scream. I rushed in the direction I'd heard it coming from. Seconds later, I slammed head first into Sam. We both went down with shouts of surprise and pain, me on top of her.

"Sam! You okay?" I gasped, trying to get both of us back on our feet.

"Y-yes," she said in horrified shock. "But I-I think the golem got Toushiro!"

For a horrible second my stomach battled the nausea that wrenched my insides into a ball of sick pain. Taking a deep breath, I said, "He'll be fine, Sam. I've got to get you out of here, though. Where's Ran?"

Sam shook her head wearily. "I don't know," she said. Her strong resolve was returning. "She jumped onto the golem, but it awoke from the explosion. I couldn't see anything, but I felt it hit Toushiro beside me."

By now the smoke was clearing. Behind Sam I saw a lone, motionless figure on the floor a few yards away from where we stood. Panic rose in my chest, but I refused to believe he was dead. He couldn't. He was too strong.

"There," I told Sam, pointing to Toushiro. She looked over her shoulder and stiffened at the sight of the man. "Go help him," I ordered quietly. It was hard to talk. My throat had tightened in emotion. Sam gave me a frightful look before she ran off to do what I said. Heart pounding loudly in my chest, I turned away from her to set my sights on the golem.

Dammit. This had turned into a disaster.

Ran was gripping onto the head of the golem with all her might. She stayed on the thing by the ends of her fingertips. Her eyes were wide in fear, but she persevered like the survivor she was.

"Hang on, Ran!" I screamed up to the girl.

The monster thunderously howled at the touch of the power the girl bestowed upon it. It stomped around the warehouse in its anger and pain, trying urgently to get Ran off its head and back. The girl didn't have much time left. She was strong, but not even she would be able to keep her position forever. The golem was bound to get her off at some point.

Because I was too weak to fly now, I sprinted toward the golem. My limbs felt sluggish and slow, but my mind was racing. It didn't comprehend the danger I was putting myself in. It was focused solely on helping Ran, my friend.

"Hey, rocky!" I yelled tauntingly at the golem as I skidded to a halt in front of it. It grumbled in annoyance as it settled it's narrowed gaze on me. "Your mom was a mud pie! ... Oh, crap!"

I threw myself to the side as the golem's fist swiftly descended. It pounded into the cement. Debris rained over my unprotected form spiraled out on the floor. I looked up while forcing tired limbs to work towards getting me to my feet. The golem's hand swept over me just as I crouched as close as I could to the ground. It was followed by a tremendous wake of wind that almost threw me off balance.

Ran was seconds away from success. If I could keep this up for just a little longer. Somehow my muscles complied as I scrambled to my feet. I was running purely on adrenaline now. It gave me the juice to race around the golem.

Unexpectedly, the golem stuck a foot out to cut my pathway off. Gasping, I slammed on my breaks and came to a stop on my butt. A shadow engulfed me. Looking up, I saw my doom approaching in the form of the golem's hand. A distressed yelp escaped my throat without me knowing as I struggled to my feet in a futile attempt in escape.

The rough fingers of the golem wrapped around me. Instantly, I felt the terrifying feeling of the life being sucked out of me. A scream ruptured out of my throat as my body went rigid. The golem triumphantly brought me up high into the air over its head as if to show its well earned prize off to the watching world. It let out a bellow of victory.

I was in too much agonizing pain to register at the time what happened next. I remember it now, though.

The moment the golem had let out its mirthless shout of joy, Ran had acted. Her hand plunged its way into the golem's open mouth, and she found purchase on the scroll. With a cry of effort, she yanked it out. Her eyes shone with fearless achievement.

The golem died in that exact second. I felt its consuming power fade away as its life withered toward death. The body of the golem was nothing more than rock and mud without the life of the golem controlling the elements. The stone shuddered before crumbling. The fist holding me tight broke loose. I was falling.

Strong arms caught me before I could collide with the ground. My vision blurred more with each passing second. I was blacking out. Nothing I could do to stop it. I was so weak, so heavy. All I wanted was the pain to stop.

"Don't worry, kid," a familiar voice assured me. Through my spinning world, I saw the wry grin of Toushiro and his green eyes as they smiled down at me. "I gotcha," he told me in a warm, kind voice. He chuckled. "You did great, kid, and you're gonna be fine."

I smiled. Or at least tried to. That was all I could manage before the comforting world of darkness overtook me.

A/N: Yay! -raised arms overhead in joy- It's almost over! Wait. It's almost over. -breaks out into tears- So sad. I'm gonna miss this thing. One more conclusion chapter to go, then the fic is done. It's been an awesome ride. See you readers in two weeks!


	24. Chapter 24 Home Advantage

A/N: Well, this chapter turned out to be much longer than I thought it would. Sorry about that. And it would have been out on Monday, but I got a full time job just this week and all my free time was sucked dry. Sad and depressing, really, but I won't bore you with my scares. Not much excitement in this last, summing up chapter, but I still had some fun with it. Hope you guys enjoy it too. I've got more to say, but that will come in the ending author's note. Without further ado, here is your final Powerless chapter!

Disclaimer: You guys know the drill by now. I don't own those awesome Danny Phantom characters. But those other cool characters you see. Those are mine. No stealing.

Chapter 24 Home Advantage

_Purr purr purr purr purr purr._

This is how I woke up. It started out sounding like a happy motor on a vehicle because I was still halfway between reality and dreamworld. Then it turned into the content sound of a cheerful cat. Kitten in this case. And it would have been cute if it hadn't ventured close to my face and used its sandpaper tongue to wet my chin while standing on my chest. Tuna hung on the kitten's breath. It stunk. His weight was crushing me. Boy, Zuma had gotten heavy. Or was I just weak?

"You need to really reconsider your diet, Zuma," I mumbled to the small beast with a pained and annoyed groan. Inazuma only got more excited. He saw me being awake as his victory and proceeded to lick my chin. This time with more gusto.

I squeezed my eyes shut, growling at the kitten, "Two words. Breath mints. Seriously."

I let Zuma do his job of smothering my nose with the nasty reek of old fish before I got the strength to stop him. He had already successfully pulled me out of my weird dreams. Might as well face the real world.

"Alright, hairball, lay off the face," I sighed, opening my eyes and pushing Inazuma off me. Satisfied with a job well done, Zuma sat on my chest, stared intently at me, and continued to purr like a maniac. He was really happy today. I smiled at him. Better not to bring his high spirits down.

Now that I was fully awake, I could make out where I was. It was a hospital room. My own hospital room. No sharing involved. That was a nice touch. I was on a large bed with starchy white sheets and some of the fluffiest pillows behind my head. The air smelled sanitized and artificial like it always does in a hospital. To my left was a bare gray wall with two empty chairs against it. In the ceiling's corner hung a TV that was off. In front was a closed door. The right held a device monitoring my heart beat. The soft, regular beeps were comforting to me. They meant I was human. Human meant I was still alive. Alive was good.

"Who put me in here?" I asked out loud to no one in particular. Inazuma didn't answer. He merely mewed for attention.

Sighing, I searched for the remote that would sit up my bed. Didn't have to look far. It was placed right beside my hand. A press of a button later, and I was upright. My chest was terribly sore. Some ribs had definitely fractured in the golem fight. If I didn't have ghost powers, they'd be doing more than hurting right now.

"What happened?" I asked again. Sitting there alone in a hospital room, the only company my cat and my heart beat, I felt rather confused. And hungry. Really hungry. When had been the last time I ate something?

The doorknob to the room twisted suddenly. Naturally, I tensed. Zuma looked up in alarm from my reaction. I had no clue who had put me in this room. I still hadn't fully remembered what had happened with the golem. I had the faint relief that it was defeated, but that gave me no excuse to believe that Vlad hadn't gotten me to a hospital to treat my cracked ribs. Vlad could very well be walking through that door, wearing that know-it-all, annoying smirk I hate him for.

Instead of the evil mastermind, it was a nurse. She smiled brightly at me as she briskly walked in with a tray of food in her hands. The lady was cute in her late twenties with warm dark eyes, a pointy nose, and jet-black hair cut into a shoulder length bob. I right away liked her because she was going to be giving me food. Shallow, I know. But so truthful.

She said hello in Japanese to me. That's all I understood. The only thing I could do as she spoke to me in her own language was shrug my shoulders and look guilty for my lack of knowledge. She got the idea and smiled excitedly at me as she quickly set down the tray on a table that popped out of my bed.

"Thank you!" I called out to her as she rushed out of the room in a hurry. Zuma and I shared dubious looks. "What's up with her?" I asked the kitten as I set my sights on the delivered meal before me. Inazuma licked his lips in anticipation. It spurred a laugh out of me that stung my ribs.

"I know," I told the hungry animal. "Who cares as long as we get to eat?" I fished out a noodle from my steaming bowl of noodle and dumpling soup and dangled it for Inazuma. He snatched it quickly away with a munch of his tiny jaws. "Eat up," I chuckled.

The door burst open just as I was lifting the set of chopsticks to my open mouth. Startled, I looked up with a pang of anticipation rippling through my stomach. I really wished it wouldn't be Vlad.

The wish came true.

"Danny! You're awake!" Sam exclaimed. She rushed into the room with Ran and Toushiro close behind her. The two girls sat on the bed either side of me with grins of excitement. The man stood at the foot of the bed with his trademark wry smile on his face.

"Did you put me here?" I asked Toushiro.

"Originally, yes," he answered. "But when Ran's father received the news that the kidnapped kid he had _kidnapped_ had _destroyed_ the golem and that this kid was in the hospital, he decided the least he could do was pay for the bill and your own room. He might be a ruthless drug dealer on the outside, but he has a soft spot for his only daughter. It was Ran who told him what you did and that he needed to repay you."

"Thanks," I told the girl on my right. "Not just for this, but for getting rid of that golem." She smiled almost proudly, as if congratulating herself on a job well done. I raised an eyebrow, asking sneakily, "That wasn't so hard, right?" I grinned here to annoy her. It worked.

"You almost died!" Ran bluntly pointed out.

"I've had closer calls," I said with a carefree shrug. What was sad was the fact that it was kinda true. Ghost hunting put my life at risk all the time. I couldn't even count how many times I've almost died since I got these powers. Lost track about four months ago.

"You are so weird," Ran said with a pretend disgusted sigh. Sam tried to repress a glare, but she still managed to shoot the girl across from her a steely kind of look. I hope Toushiro hadn't spent his entire day keeping these two apart. It seemed like an impossible job. Poor guy.

"What matters is that the golem is gone. Tokyo is saved. Drug dealers can go back to their jobs without the fear of some supernatural being popping out of nowhere and wreaking havoc," I said between bites of food. "The only question that remains is what happened to Katsumi."

"Oh, that's an easy one to answer," Sam said, the hint of evil satisfaction crossing her smiling face. She picked up the remote and turned on the television. It was set on a news station. Everything was in Japanese, but I didn't have to understand what they were saying to get what was going on.

The video they were playing and constantly repeating was of a furious and screaming Katsumi as she was being handcuffed and shoved into a police cruiser. She was thrashing around and acting hysterical in her peak of anger. Her golem wasn't there to back her up anymore. By this time it had been destroyed by Ran. She was practically powerless.

The reason why she was being arrested was clear by their other videos of arrested people and pictures of drugs. Lots and lots of pictures of drugs. Most of it was cocaine. This surprised me. Who had let it slip to the police she was a drug lord? I mean, I wasn't complaining in the least bit. I was glad she was going to jail. She deserved it. But I still found it odd that even with the evidence of her owning the golem, she was still getting arrested on drug trafficking charges.

"Who spilled the beans on her involvement in the drug trade?" I asked after a minute or two of watching the news silently.

"We think it was Vlad Masters," Toushiro answered. "Your kidnapper. He's nowhere to be seen, by the way. But his ghost did search all of Katsumi's house. It has been torn apart. Almost as if it was searching for something."

"But why would Vlad do that?" I asked. I didn't take the time to correct the guy on Vlad Plasmius being Vlad Masters. Vlad could keep his own secrets. And the searching for something part...I had a inclination to believe it was the flash drive. Hope it took the fruit loop long and painful hours to find it. Serves him right.

"My uncle and Sam think that when Masters discovered that his friend was the master of the golem, he couldn't deal with the guilt if he killed her," Ran picked up the story where Toushiro had left off. "Originally he sent his ghost to retrieve you in exchange for me. When that didn't work, the ghost disobeyed Masters's orders and proceeded to try and kill Katsumi. As you saw, that didn't work out so well because Toushiro and Sam stopped him. So Masters must have devised a plan to get her arrested instead."

Who had sold the girl this horribly concocted story? It was so messed up, it made my head spin. My eyes quickly darted over to Sam for her reaction. She wore a smug smile of accomplishment. Our eyes met. With hers she told me to wipe the disbelief off my face and to agree with her well plotted scheme.

The Goth didn't have to tell me twice to obey. If this story made sense to the outside world, then I was on board for it. Shrugging smoothly, I said, "I guess it makes sense."

"You aren't feeding Zuma noodles, are you?" Sam asked as she saw me fish out a noodle with my chopsticks. I looked up at her in surprise. She had an expression of minor horror on her face.

"Danny, you can't feed him that kind of food!" Ran scolded me before Sam could. "It's bad for him."

"Exactly," Sam agreed with a furtive nod. Her eyes pinned me with a stern stare I couldn't look away from. "Seriously, Danny. I thought you knew how to take care of a cat. Didn't you used to have one?"

"Yeah, when I was like six," I weakly defended myself. "He likes the food I gave him, though. He's like a garbage disposal. Eats anything."

"That isn't good for his digestion," Sam told me. "He needs a balanced diet of fish and vegetable cat food." She sighed dramatically, pulling Zuma off my lap because he was lapping up chicken brothel. "How on earth are we going to get this guy back to the States? We need his shots and papers. What were you going to do once you got back home with him?"

"I thought you could take care of him," I mumbled with a drooping composure. It didn't look like Zuma had much of a chance of making it to Amity Park with me. "My dad's allergic. I wouldn't be able to keep him."

"My parents refused to let me keep pets since my tarantula got out of her tank and chased my mom around the house while I was in school in sixth grade," Sam reminded me. "Either Tucker could take him in, or we'd have to give him to the humane league. I'd hate to do that to him. He's too sweet." She smiled faintly when Zuma burst into purrs from her scratching behind his ears. It was his sweet spot.

Toushiro cleared his throat suddenly for attention. We looked up at him, ready for whatever suggestion he gave us. Folding his arms across his chest, the man said boldly, "I think you should let Ran take him in."

That shut us up for a good few seconds. All three of us teenagers shared looks. Inazuma sat between us with a poor, innocent look of wanting as he squeaked out a miserable mew. I really didn't want to part from him. We had stuck by each others sides since day one. He was my little buddy. It was going to be hard saying goodbye, but this would be for the best. That's what I had set out to do for him. This would give him the good life he deserved.

"You wouldn't mind, would you, Ran?" I asked her quietly.

"Danny, I'd love to take care of him for you," Ran said. I was glad to see the genuine grin break across her face. She picked the kitten up and gently cradled him close to her. "Think of him as a goodbye gift from you," she told me. "Like a memory of you. We are probably not going to see each other again after this."

This made my shoulders slump in depression. As much as I wanted to deny it, Ran I were not going to see each other again. Maybe way later on in the future, but that was far too out there for us to see. "Yeah," I said slowly. "But I'm glad you're going to take care of Inazuma. You'll be good for each other."

"Why do you say that?" Ran asked me, confusion spreading across her pretty face.

A sly smile twitched the corners of my lips as I answered, "Well, you'll have to quit smoking with him around. Also, you'll learn responsibility because you'll have to take care of him. He'll live a more healthy lifestyle, and you might improve yours."

"That is not funny," Ran retorted in a growl. Toushiro and I burst out into laughter. Sam simply rolled her eyes and gave Ran a knowing expression of shared pain. "Have fun with him, sweetie," Ran spat acidly at Sam. "The loser is all yours."

"Hey! I'm not a loser!" I spoke up suddenly. My voice sounded funny because I had went from laughing to angry in the brief course of a second. Sam and Ran only grinned at each other. Well, at least they weren't sharing cold glares or at each others throats. Grinning was good...right?

The door opened for a third time that day. The nurse came bustling in, speaking in rapid Japanese to Toushiro. The man frowned a little while he listened. It sounded like he was arguing with her when he spoke up next. She retorted something. The stern scowl on her face was like a reproachful mother's. The contrite smile on Toushiro's lips told me he didn't want to provoke any more from the lady.

"What's up?" I asked him.

"She says we have to leave," Toushiro answered, throwing a thumb in the nurse's direction and looking a tad nervous. "She says you need rest and that all this talking must be taking away your strength."

"Did you tell her I feel fine?" I asked.

I didn't want them to leave just yet. For most of this trip I either had the company of Vlad or I was all by myself. After two full weeks of nothing but those things, my body seemed to be craving for friends and loved ones. I wanted to sit here and talk to Sam, Ran, and Toushiro for hours. My brain wanted to soak in their voices and smiles.

It was then when a strong wave of homesickness washed over me. I missed home. I missed my parents and Jazz. I missed ghost fighting and sitting at the Nasty Burger with Sam and Tucker. It was such a strong wave that my chest seemed to ache in the aftermath. Maybe it had been my sore ribs, but I believe it was more than that.

"I did," Toushiro sighed in exasperation. "But she insists that you need your rest if you want to be well enough in a few days to leave the hospital." He must have noticed my depressed composure because he quickly assured me, "Don't worry about it, kid. She says we can come back in a couple of hours. We'll have plenty of time to talk then."

I tried to smile in response.

"Hey, see you later, loser," Ran said as she slid off the bed with Zuma in her arms. I scratched Zuma behind the ears as a goodbye gift. He purred in his happiness. Ran quickly gave me a peck on the cheek before confidently strutting out of the room with a sexy sashay of her hips, as if knowing exactly how cute her butt was. My heart did this skip-flop thingy. I'm not quite sure what it was.

Yep. Still the same troublemaker I had met in the arcade my first day here. I hoped she found the wood to her water soon. She still needed some leveling out.

"I want to thank you, Danny," Toushiro said from where he now stood by my side. I looked up at him as he continued seriously. "Without your help, I don't know what situation Tokyo would be in right now. You were braver than any kid I've seen your age. You too, Sam. If your parents knew what you two did last night, I promise you they would be proud of you guys. Think of yourselves as heroes."

"Thanks," Sam and I said in unison.

"You too, man," I grinned back at him.

"Rest up, kid," Toushiro said, ruffling my messy hair with a hand. "You got some big days ahead of you." With his hands placed loosely in his pockets, Toushiro strolled languidly out the door of my hospital room. I was gonna miss him. He was so cool. I still wanted his autograph.

"Guess I'll be back to discuss our plane tickets in a few hours," Sam told me as she slipped off the bed. "My parents called while you were asleep," she said, trying to sound upset. I didn't buy it for a second. The hint of a rebellious smile was in her voice as she said, "They are so furious."

She moved to leave. My insides had been building up to tell her something this entire time. Instincts or something told me to do it now. If I waited any longer it would be too late. Going with this feeling, I lunged forward and gently grabbed her arm to stop her from going. She paused in slight surprise and turned back toward me with a calm, questioning raised eyebrow. I locked my eyes with hers and refused to be distracted by the small flittering butterflies doing their dance in my stomach.

"I just wanted to...I wanted to...to say something," the words stumbled out of my mouth, sounding like a broken blender to my ears. I was shocked with myself when I almost said that I liked her. I hadn't been meaning to say that at all. Maybe I had been hit in the head too many times.

"Go ahead," Sam prompted me to continue. She gave me a warm, friendly smile.

"I'm glad you came to help me," I finally managed to say. I was proud of myself for not skewering any part of the sentence. It gave me the confidence to say more. "Even if you were late, it doesn't matter. I needed someone, and you came and helped despite the fact you were on the other side of the world."

Sam stared at me for a second or two, saying nothing. It looked like she was struggling on the inside, debating over the words to say. I waited and tried not to let the silent seconds between us deter my persistent, hopeful smile.

Finally, she made up her mind. She let out a pent up breath while closing her eyes. She looked so smart whenever she did that. Opening her eyes, Sam said quietly, "It's what friends do, Danny." She looked away before adding waveringly, "Tucker would have done the same if he could, I'm sure."

"I know," I said, trying not to turn my smile into a sad one. My own sigh escaped me, as if I was exhaling the disappointment that had come with her standard reaction.

It was back to pretending we were just best friends again. Although it sucked this way, it was much better than overstepping a boundary and losing this close friendship with her forever. I didn't know what I would do without Sam in my life. We needed each other. If that meant being friends till we turned 30, I was okay with that. I just hoped she wouldn't make me wait that long.

"You gonna be okay?" she asked me after a brief and awkward pause between us.

"I'll be fine eventually," I said, putting a cocky smile on my lips. "You know me. Ghost kid with ghost powers. I'm practically invincible. It's you I'm worried about."

"Why?" she asked dubiously.

"Well, I'm not the one who went and bought a plane ticket to Japan while I was supposed to go to an art show in New York," I explained it to her. "If I didn't want to doom myself to months of being grounded, I'd tell you to tell your parents I'm sorry I'm your friend and provoked you to come out here, but I'm not going to say that for selfish reasons."

"Good idea," Sam said, smiling at me. "Telling them you were here with me would probably make them more furious." I shrugged and gave her the simple you-just-can't-win expression. It spurned a laugh from her lips as she moved to leave. Before she disappeared behind the door, she said casually, "See you in a few hours with an update on our flights back home."

"Okay," I said, lifting a hand to wave goodbye. At the last second I realized what I was doing and stopped the palm from raising any higher. Sam was already gone. She hadn't seen me make an idiot out of myself. I glared at the devious body part.

Alone again in my hospital room, I decided the best thing to do was to eat and try to get more sleep. Those were the two things my body had been lacking for a good week now. My soup had turned cold, but I didn't care. I was starving from hours of negligence to my stomach. Chewing slowly on a mouth full of sticky rice ball, my mind returned to a melancholy state of ponder. I had made it through a lot of struggles this adventure. There for sure were going to more to face once I got back home. I had survived the life of a teen ghost superhero this far; I didn't see a single reason why my stomach was still twisting in apprehension.

After swallowing some more gulps of tepid soup, I burped up a puff of blue mist. The familiar chill crawled down my spine. Looking up quickly, I saw the hazy figure of the fox spirit solidify into view on the foot of my bed.

"Wait. Before you say anything," I said when her muzzle opened to speak. Calmly, she closed her mouth. The ends of her fox mouth curled in a slight smile as I said cheekily, "I saved the day. I did an awesome job at it too. I accept your thanks, my good ghost friend."

"I am not a ghost," the fox corrected me, her tone and expression grave all the sudden. "I am a spirit."

"Oh," I muttered in sudden embarrassment, although I didn't know the difference between the two.

"You are a precocious one, young warrior," the fox spirit said with a gentle laugh. The melodious sound made me relax and give a smile. "But I've enjoyed your company. The spirit world doesn't have the vitality you possess. You seem in much happier spirits than when we last met. What makes you smile?"

"Well, getting rid of that golem makes me pretty cheerful," I chuckled. "And I didn't die. That's gotta be a plus. Also, I haven't seen a single sign of Vlad in an hour; although, I don't know if that's a good or bad thing."

"You are a strange one, Danny Phantom," the fox spirit stated with one of her rare smiles. Her tail swirled behind her crimson, sleek form as she stood up and walked a few steps forward before sitting down right in front of me on the bed.

"Um...thanks," I said hesitantly, scratching the back of my neck in nervous habit. "But I...um I'm glad you showed up, 'cause I wanted to thank you for coming and telling me to defeat the golem. If it wasn't for you, I'd have already packed by bags a week ago and hightailed it out of here. That's the cold, hard truth."

"Sometimes a warrior is lost and can not find the battle field," the spirit said, using her common warrior analogy she favored so often. "The warrior will need someone to simply point him in the right direction before he can find his destination. You found your destination in due time, young warrior. I'm happy to be of a service to you. I thank you for all your hard work and devotion. You are a hero here in Tokyo."

"Well, thanks," I said, trying to sound humble. "But the next time I come to Japan, can we keep our visits strictly friendly? I don't want any more job offers from you in the future. One ghost sucking supernatural being is hard enough."

"I understand, young warrior," the fox spirit chuckled. "Now, I must bid you goodbye. May your future be prosperous."

"Yours too," I said lamely, waving at her as she sat up and turned around on the bed. She looked over one of her shoulders, smiled slyly, and winked. Without a sound, the swift fox leapt into a run, vanishing in a spiral of faded colors before she had even reached the end of my bed.

"Funny. And here I believed you had been lying about that fox spirit the entire time," a familiar and dreadful voice said from my left.

I literally jumped in my fright and surprise, letting out a startled yelp. Getting a grip on myself, I looked over to the chairs to the left of my bed and saw Vlad Masters sitting in one. His relaxed posture told me he'd been there for a very long time. The deliberate smirk upon his lips was only there to boil my blood. In the distance, my heart monitor was beeping in rapid succession.

I thought fast. The remote to my bed would also be equipped with a button to press incase of emergencies. Vlad clearly didn't want to be seen or be noticed by anyone besides me. Pressing that button would bring the nurse back in here, which would probably drive the man off. It was worth a shot.

I lunged forward for the remote. Vlad's smirk transformed into a frown. My fingers firmly gripped the hard plastic. My eyes frantically roamed the Japanese symbols on the buttons. I had a forefinger ready to smash into a button to bring in the calvary, but Vlad had already beaten me.

"Touch a single button on that remote, Daniel, and you will regret it," the man snapped harshly at me before my finger could descend. I hesitated, twisting my mouth into an uncertain frown. That was all Vlad needed to ensure himself.

His voice returned to its normal smoothness as he told me with vicious and wicked pleasure, "Remember, you are mine until we are back in Amity Park. You want that watch off your arm? Then I suggest you do exactly what I tell you to do. First things first, give me that remote. Secondly, calm yourself down. We don't want your heart ruining our meeting together by bringing in the nurse."

My fingers curled tightly around the remote as a flare of anger flashed through my body. I had been seconds away from a good ending to this adventure, and here Vlad was to screw it all up. He always found a way to crawl under my skin.

Sighing heavily in my defeat, I held the remote out toward my victorious enemy. Vlad stood up and swiped the device out of my hand. He lingered around the side of the bed without saying anything before finally asking curiously, "Why do you not pursue the Manson girl?"

"H-huh?" I sputtered out the words in my shock. Since when were we comfortable with these kinds of questions? And why did that heart monitor have to record each swift beat of my now pounding heart?

Vlad ignored my disturbed reaction and the heart monitor as he cared to continue. "I see how you two interact," he said like this was a natural observation. "It is obvious the two of you like each other. You could have her if you were a little less subtle and more forceful. A strong girl like her probably prefers it more when the male is dominant in the relationship."

"Jeez! What is this? A how-to-get-the-girl class from the guy who could never get the girl? Spare me the freaking lecture on my love life, Vlad," I spat aggressively at the man. "What the hell do you want with me? If you're finished with using me already, then get this watch thing off me and let me get back home on my own."

"Well, you ferociously avoided that subject," Vlad chuckled. He wasn't in the least bit unsettled by my attacking words. Sitting on the edge of my bed where Sam had sat, Vlad told me, "You see, Daniel, I'm not finished with you. While I had wished to have this mess with the golem and Katsumi settled properly a week ago, it wasn't. You and I have been away from Amity Park for longer than we should have. Your parents are already back home, and the town was demanding to know where I was. I decided to tell your family and the people of Amity Park the truth. I told them I have taken you away on vacation with me overseas as a special treat for my best friend's son."

"That's not the truth," I growled half heartedly. What was the point of correcting him anymore? Vlad was just going to do what he wanted. At the moment I was powerless to stop him.

"Don't let the public know that," Vlad grinned knowingly. "For all they know, you and I spent two weeks in Europe taking in the sights." I stared doubtfully at the man but didn't say a word. My expression said it all. Vlad caught on a second later. He leaned forward, stating blatantly, "I know you enjoyed Prague."

"Sure, getting attacked by crazy Japanese ghost hunters and watching your creepy friend get shot in the head was an awesome experience," I retorted with sharp sarcasm.

"Deny it all you want, boy, but you and I both know you felt more at home there," Vlad said, smirking. "The supernatural history of the place must feel like Amity Park. The ghosts and spirits that used to roam the city have left their mark just like the ones that haunt your home so often. You like that eerie feel. I relish in it too. It's because we're both half ghosts. It's in our genes."

"Swell," I muttered, successfully sounding uninterested. I went back to eating. With a mouth full of rice, I asked him listlessly, "Did you find the flash drive?"

"Yes. In fact, I did," Vlad said, savoring the win with his prideful words.

I grinned a cruel smile at him and swallowed. "How long did it take you to find it?" I asked with unpleasant enjoyment in my tone.

"You have an uncanny gift at hiding things so that they can not be easily found, boy," Vlad grumbled darkly in my direction. "You made me search that house for three hours. It wasn't until I saw your shoe print in the zen garden's sand that I realized you had buried it there."

My grin widened. Vlad didn't like the expression of delight and swiftly tried to eliminate it as he said, "Wipe that silly expression off your face. That was evidence you hid. It depicted every detail on how to create, command, and destroy the golem. It even has the entire history of how the golem was taken out of its coffin in Prague in World War two by an eccentric Nazi officer. He gave it to his Japanese lover as some form of present. Eventually, it was inherited by Katsumi, and you know how prosperous that turned out. The point I'm trying make here is that the information in that memory flash drive is enough to start a mess like the one we just cleaned up all over again. Imagine if it was in the hands of someone who couldn't handle it?"

"So you destroyed it?" I asked him. My flat tone clearly displayed my disbelief in the matter. Vlad would never destroy that flash drive. It held all the knowledge he could ever wish for on the golem that attacked Prague and Tokyo. Why would he ever give that up for the greater good?

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you I had," Vlad said, letting out a short chuckle.

"That's the most truthful thing you've said all day," I told him. I took another bite of of the large rice ball and shook my head. Typical Vlad Masters. Greedy as ever.

We stayed silent like that for a while. I ate my cold meal while staring at my lap, longing for my home and my family. Vlad's thoughts were locked away in his head and out of sight from me. His thoughtful expression didn't show an ounce of emotion as stared intently at me for a few moments.

It took me a minute or two to realize he wasn't talking to me and that we had both been spacing out instead of it just being me. I looked up at Vlad and asked, "What?"

"Why do you always automatically suspect me of plotting your demise when I look at you?" Vlad asked half jokingly. One of his eyebrows rose into his forehead with this question. The smirk on his lips dared me to put up a fight.

"Because you obviously are," I answered after swallowing my last hunk of rice.

"Actually, I was thinking over the process of removing your watch," he told me. "It's an intricate method. Your Foley friend would never be able to break the combination like he did the other one. I'm amazed you memorized the pattern so quickly."

"You know, I can do a lot of things when put under pressure," I said with an effortless smile. "Tell me, who was it who came up with the plan to destroy the golem? Oh, that's right. That was me."

"You can praise yourself later," Vlad sighed. He held out his hand, saying, "Give me your arm with the watch. I'll take it off now if you wish. But I have to warn you. It's a very painful experience. If you don't want to-."

"No," I insisted, quickly giving him my arm as I cut him off mid sentence. "Better to get it over with now. Like ripping off a band aid. Peeling it off slowly just makes it worse in the long run."

Vlad gripped the watch and my wrist hard as he fished around for something in his suit jacket pocket with his free hand. I was mentally preparing myself for the pain ahead as the bleeping of my heart quickened steadfastly in the distance. The sound of my nervousness was odd for my ears to hear. It was a bitter reminder as to how powerless a person is to their natural bodily reactions to stress and fear.

"I'm terribly sorry to do this to you, Danny," Vlad said with no remorse in his apathetic voice. He pulled my arm closer toward him and simultaneously took out a syringe full of green liquid with the hand he'd been using to dig around inside the jacket pocket. In one fluid motion, he had the needle plunged into my forearm and was relentlessly injecting me with the mysterious liquid. He gave me no time to call out in my alarm. I was left to stare into the evil man's smiling face as he said smugly, "Have a nice nap."

The syringe was forcefully pulled out of my skin, and Vlad let me go. Already the effects of the liquid were wrecking havoc to my system. I could feel my brain becoming lethargic and slow as the colors of my vision faded and darkened. My muscles felt heavy. Limbs had become useless as the drug did its predestined job to my insides.

"No," my brain managed to translate into words. What was really going on up there were these frantic thoughts: _Crap! This is just like how it all started! I really gotta stop passing out so often. It can't be good for me. I swear! I'm gonna hurt that man when this is over!_

Vlad watched me closely as I lost consciousness. I remember his cold eyes boring into me and the pitiless expression on his unmoving face. I remember how similar it looked like the golem's. Then there was nothing but the comforts of a black, fathomless void.

-Hours Later-

I woke up slowly. Colors and sounds sluggishly solidified. I didn't rush the coming to process. My eyes stayed closed through most of it. That helped with the nausea part. The feeling died away quickly, and I was able to take in the world as it truly was.

The constant hum was the motor of a car and not the cat purr I had wanted it to be. The cool, comfortable material I was lying on was not a cloud like it had been in my dreams but an actual leather seat. The thick smell of the fabric filled my senses. Sunlight shined through a window and hit the side of my face, making it warm. My head was resting against someone's leg. I could only guess it was Vlad's.

Turning over onto my back, I stared up at the man upside down. He was drowsily reading a newspaper with tried eyes. I'd come to know that he liked reading the news when he was bored and needed to pass the time. When I moved, showing I was awake, he glanced down at me before returning his gaze to the fine print.

"Where are we going now?" I asked groggily. "Please tell me we're heading to the airport."

"No," Vlad said without having to pause in his reading. "We're not heading to the airport." My heart sunk in horror. "We're heading _away_ from the airport. The car is fifteen minutes from your house. I took the watch off you on the plane ride here. The sedatives I gave you might make you dizzy for an hour more. I advise you stay in the car until we reach your home. It will assist the both of us if we stick to my lie and arrive at your house together."

"How long have I been conked out?" I asked in wonder.

My first try at sitting up failed after a strong wave of vertigo, and I slumped back onto the seat beside Vlad. The second try was successful. Fighting through the lightheadedness, I peered excitedly out the window at all of the familiar streets and townhouses I'd known since I was a kid. The usual, day-to-day sights consoled my homesick heart. The beginnings of a smile flickered to the corners of my lips.

"For the better part of a day," Vlad answered my question, turning the page of the paper. "I had a private jet bring us back to the States. I thought it better to take the watch off you while in the air and keep you unconscious so you wouldn't think long about escaping or such nonsense."

I drifted away from the window as the words sunk in. My eyes traveled over the blurred landscape and buildings as I said sadly, "You didn't let me say goodbye to anyone."

"It doesn't matter," Vlad stated sternly. "You and your friends had already said goodbye in the hospital before they left. Consider yourself lucky. I had been tempted to take you away before they could come in and see you, but I thought that would anger you too much and cause suspicion too soon."

"Oh, thanks," I grumbled back at him. "You're too nice."

"Still the reproachful sarcasm, I see," he said, still reading the newspaper like it was more interesting than me at the moment.

I found myself staring at the man and forgetting to respond to his critical words with something clever or witty. He didn't look happy or sad. I thought for sure that our trip to Japan had been successful in his line of work, but his sullen, indifferent countenance as he read didn't show an ounce of pride or victory. Then again, he didn't seem depressed or angry. Was it because of Katsumi? Had he really cared that much about her even after her trying to trick and kill him?

"Spit it out, Daniel," Vlad ordered me, his eyes never wavering from the thin pages of the newspaper. "Tell me what's on your mind now, or you're never going to get the chance again."

"Vlad?" I started out slowly and seriously. "Why didn't you kill Katsumi Tanaka?"

The question caught Vlad off guard. I knew this when I saw his eyes stop moving across the words on the paper. He was thinking on how to answer properly, so I waited patiently for his well chosen words. Truthfully, I was very curious as to what he was going to say. How does the heartless man explain himself when he's caught red handed with a heart?

Finally, after much internal deliberation, Vlad folded up his paper and looked over at me with a scathing, searching expression in his narrowed eyes. He found me innocent and harmless and so motioned for me to sit next to him. I was determined for an answer out of this guy, so I swallowed my dislike for the man and scooted my butt into the seat beside to him. This had better be worth it.

"I believe you have the wrong perception of me, Daniel," Vlad started. "I admit that I've shown a rather cold and evil masterminded side to you in the past and along this trip we took together. I understand how it must make you untrustworthy towards me. I accept that and most certainly expect it from you right now. One day you will see how childish it is and drop it, but you are merely a kid and so wouldn't recognize it at your age.

"What you rarely know is my past. Like you, I had and made friends. Eli Goldberg, your mother, your father (unfortunately), and Katsumi Tanaka are the only examples you might know to date. You must understand that before I obtained ghost powers, I was an average citizen. I went to school and college like any normal person. And like those mundane people, I made relationships with the ones around me.

"While I would have wished to have deposited all those whimsical human emotions when I received ghost powers, that wasn't the case entirely. What makes you and I different from the average ghost, Danny, is that we are able to keep our human emotions and earthly logic which keeps us stable. It's the ultimate combination of ghostly power and human intelligence that makes our kind superior.

"So while I would have liked to have killed Katsumi and be done with the messy ordeal, I still have the same human emotions for her as I did in the days when we used to date. I don't think it would have solved anything if she had died. It would have dishonored Katsumi and distorted my good memories of her if I had murdered her, so I came up with the plan to use you and your new friends to get rid of the golem for me. After that, it would be easy to expose her drug trafficking to the police and put her in jail. Prison is where she belongs. She'll have power in there, but she won't be able to harm the majority of the city with her golem. Her power will be filtered; it will be there, but it won't be the same kind she possessed with the golem in her control."

"Controlled power," I muttered with an understanding nod. "It's the best kind of favor you could have given her." Vlad raised a questioning eyebrow. "Don't give me that look," I said, smiling. "You know what I mean. You were being a friend to Katsumi even at the end there. She was trying to kill you for ruining her life, and you returned it with a favor. Vlad Masters has some goodness deep down inside him. Deep, like _real_ deep down, but there, nonetheless."

"You didn't listen to a word I said, did you?" Vlad asked me flatly. If I was lucky he would believe I was a lost cause, but I knew that wasn't the case. Vlad Masters is a determined man. He gets what he wants in life. I was on his list, and it would take some hard work on my part to get my name erased from it.

"Only because you don't listen to me," I protested my side of the argument bravely. "And answering my questions from time to time doesn't count. You didn't hear me the first time, and you will never hear me when I say I don't want anything to do with you, Vlad. I don't want to be your experiment, pet, or sidekick. Ever."

"You say that now," Vlad said. A familiar wicked grin flittered across his lips and shown in his eyes as he swung an arm around my shoulders. He brought me close while saying casually, "But you can't see yourself in a few years in the future. What you lack as a child is the capacity to understand consequences for your actions and decisions in life. While you might think so far ahead and picture yourself going back to school in a month or so, I, on the other hand, can see how just this trip alone with the two of us going to Japan and spending quality time together will effect you years from now. I have plans for you, Daniel. Plans you might not prefer and reject right now; but, with given time, you will accept and appreciate these plans."

"I hate you," was the only thing I could think of to say to relay my current emotions toward the sadistic man. What he had just was said was creepy. With at least three E's. Before he could react to my heartfelt words, I added unnecessarily, "And you also need a new hobby. May I suggest crime fighting? It really relieves stress."

"That's right, Daniel," Vlad said, still smiling at me, "go back to your comfortable sarcasm and pathetic humor. Return your thoughts of me as your constant enemy. It's the only way you will be able to cope these next few months as you try not to think of our time together and try to forget. But don't forget this, boy; one day you'll be mine. I'm not going to force you come. None of your loved ones will be on the line. You won't come kicking and screaming. You're going to come to me on your own.

"Don't believe me? Fine. That doesn't matter to me right now. The only thing I care about at the moment is that I want you to know how it works. A person doesn't fully develop their brains until they are at the estimated age of 21. Until then, a mind is impressional. It is like clay that is wet. It can be molded by experiences and the people they interact with.

"You, Daniel, are an interesting and invigorating experiment," Vlad told me with unpleasant relish. "Your mind is clay, and I'm the potter. You're a teen with insurmountable ghost powers which have made you into a strong, quick witted superhero. How fascinating it would be to take control over that power and to shift it into what I want it to be! Over these next few years, expect more visits of me. I'll be keeping an eye on you and what you do. Eventually, you'll come to see me not as a villain but as a mentor. It will be that day you will come to me willingly."

All I did was stare at him. It was all my brain could do as his terrifying words sunk in and rolled dreadfully around in my head. Truthfully, I was scared. I was also angry. He was using me like a guinea pig! I had a right to be indignant with the man! But mostly I was afraid. I was being told that I was going to change, and Vlad was going to be the one to mold me into what he wanted. I'd seen the kids in ceramics class in school. I got what his clay metaphor meant. And it spooked me entirely to the point I felt tantalizing chills gush up and down my spine.

Maybe there was no way out and no escape from Vlad's ultimate plan of making me his. Then again, maybe he was wrong. Maybe I already have my mind made up and it's impossible to change it. Maybe my friends and family have already counteracted his influences or they can help me in the next coming years.

Whatever the case, my future was still unclear. No one can dream of predicting it. As well as Vlad liked to pride himself with careful and elaborate planning that is pure workings of a genius, he would never have the supernatural gift of retelling what was to come like that lady who lived in the jungle he claimed to have met. Even _his_ plans could always go awry given the right circumstances. The future was not always set in stone.

It was with this understanding that gave me the courage to defy the man and attempt to break the mold. So I put on a brave face, looked my adversary in the eyes, and told him, "Think that way all you want, Vlad. We'll see who will endure the other the longest later. Till then, I'm just a kid with a superhero's job. You behave like a good, little Vladdy these next few years, and I really won't care. Heck, you'll be saving me a load a time and probably a test or two if you win me over with niceties. That's one way to get on my good side. You decide to play mean and dirty like you did by taking me to Japan and threatening the lives of the people I love, and I'll only see you as someone's ass I need to kick. And Vlad, I've got to tell you, what you did to me these past two weeks deserves a good beat down, and I promise you you're gonna get one. And I always keep my promises."

The car came to a halt just as I was finishing up my sentence. The sudden halt pulled me out of my current verbal smack down on Vlad. I quickly looked out the window and was practically overwhelmed to see my street. I was home!

My excitement impaired my limbs as my fingers fumbled with the door handle. That hardly daunted me because I was soon throwing the vehicle's door wide open and jumping out of the backseat. Forgetting to close the door behind me, I raced around car, bounded onto the sidewalk, and joined Vlad on the house entrance area after leaping up the three stairs. The welcome mat couldn't have been more correct in its entire life. The small green ghost knitted absurdly to the side of the mat's large lettering by my dad made me smile for the first time.

I would have burst into the house right away if Vlad hadn't deftly grabbed me by a shoulder and pulled me back toward him, saying amusingly, "Wait a minute, dear boy. I've already rung the doorbell. Let them greet us here so I can quickly say my goodbyes and be on my way."

Before I could shoot him a snide remark, the front door was flung open and I was staring into the warm and inviting faces of my family. It didn't matter that Vlad was there watching me anymore. I hadn't seen my parents or Jazz for two full weeks! My mind couldn't decide which of them to hug first, so I chose the parent nearest and threw my arms around my mom's slender neck with a laugh of joy. She didn't know what to do with me at first, but she soon came around and tightly squeezed me back. Something about being embraced by a mom that makes a son so suddenly emotional. I almost cried. I didn't, but there were definitely some tears I had to fight off.

"Oh, I've missed you so much, sweetie!" my mom exclaimed as she gave one last squeeze before releasing me. All I could do was grin back. I had waited a long time to hear those words. Man, it was good to be home!

I quickly moved onto my dad. Kinda had to jump to reach his neck. He was just as surprised as mom by the contact. I realized that they didn't get much hugs or any forms of love from me these days. Mentally I noted to work on that. They both deserved more.

"I'm so glad you're okay," I whispered to my dad as he wrapped his massive arms around me. In that moment, I remembered that brief second I thought Vlad had killed him before being told he was okay. I never wanted to feel that terrible, broken feeling. Never again.

"Of course I'm okay, Danny," my dad said, naturally confused. He set me down on the doorstep, asking, "Did I miss something?"

"No," I lied with a chuckle. "I just missed you guys."

Last but not least, I hugged Jazz. She had been standing off to the side the entire time, trying not to cry it seemed from the wetness in her eyes. When we embraced, I quietly told her, "Thanks, Jazz. You were more of a help than you thought you were."

My words broke the dam held up in her eyes. Bursting out into small, delicate tears, she excused herself from the company with the fake justification of allergies. I almost laughed at the sight. She could be so over emotional and weird. But, hey, she was my big sister. I wouldn't expect anything else from the girl.

"Goodness, Danny," my mom chuckled while placing a hand on her neck, "you're scaring your sister off with all your show of affection. What's the occasion? Vlad couldn't have been _that_ bad of a host this week."

"Two weeks without seeing his family has just made the boy more appreciative of his. That's all, Maddie," Vlad hopped into the conversation before I could get in a good comment. Then again, I was against cheap shots. That one had been too easy.

"Thanks for taking care of him this entire week, V-man!" my dad said with his usual boisterous and excited voice. "Uh...where did you take him again?"

"Prague," Vlad answered in a bland drawl.

"Where's that?" Dad asked with blatant confusion. My mom sighed in amused embarrassment as I grinned. I somehow missed this. Why? I have no clue.

"Europe," Vlad answered the man again. "And if that makes your head hurt more, then I'll tell you now that Europe is a continent across the ocean." Contempt could clearly be defined in his voice, but he disguised it well enough under a false, pretense smile. Smooth.

"Well, thanks, Vladdy!" my dad shared his appreciation with his usual obliviousness. I loved watching Vlad flinch slightly at the pet name. The man had to be really worn out to be displaying reactions like these. I wondered how long it had been since the guy had slept. With the day-long plane journey back to the States, I'm sure it had been a lengthy amount of time Vlad had been deprived of some Z's.

"Yes, thank you, Vlad," my mom said offhandedly. "That was nice of you to take Danny on such an outstanding trip. You know what? I was just making dinner. We'd love to have you join us at the table. It's the least we could offer you after you took such good care of Danny here."

My muscles tightened in anxiety when my mom offered a place at the table for Vlad to eat at. Aw, come on! It was my first night back with my family. Could I at least eat a meal together with them without the sadistic eyes of my arch enemy watching every piece of food I put into my mouth? I watched Vlad apprehensively as I waited for his answer. The man glanced down at me and smiled knowingly. He could feel my unease, I'm sure.

"I'm sorry, Maddie, but I'm going to have to decline to your generous offer," Vlad said finally. "Danny and I had a long plane trip back. He slept through most of the ride, but I wasn't as fortunate as the boy. I need to get back to my own home. Besides, I'm sure Danny would like to have you two to himself tonight."

Vlad's perceptive eyes caught my relieved smile, and he returned it with a playful smirk I'd come to know and like. It was Vlad's way of showing me he was going to be nice just this once. We both knew his sweet act wouldn't last long, but it was nice to see him try to dabble into it at the moment.

Too quickly, as if in a hurry to get the creepy man off our front door step, my mom said in a rush of sugary words, "Oh, that's a shame! Oh well. Come on inside, Danny. I'm sure you're hungry. Bye, Vlad!" She gave a wave to the stunned and perturbed looking man as I strolled, grinning widely, into the house behind my parents.

The door was close to being slammed in Vlad Master's face. I wanted to laugh at the air of complete smugness in my mom's countenance. She wasn't stupid about Vlad's interest in her, and she wasn't going to stand for it. She was so cool sometimes.

"I made hotdogs, Danny," my mom said as she and my dad walked toward the kitchen. I hung behind and stood at the door. My parents stopped to look back at me when they saw I wasn't following. "What's wrong, sweetie?" Mom asked with concern.

"I'm gonna say a last goodbye to Vlad, if you guys don't mind," I told them as I turned the handle of the front door. "Don't wait up for me. This should only take a second." Before any of them could respond, I had the door closing softly behind me.

I had caught Vlad just getting back into his car. He paused at the distinct sound of the door being shut. Turning around with leisure, Vlad expertly dashed a pompous smirk to his lips as his eyes connected with mine. Somehow he knew I'd come back to say something.

"What do you need, Daniel?" Vlad asked me in a voice meant to rouse a response out of me.

"I need to keep my promises," I said, trying to hold back a wicked smile that flittered around the corners of my mouth. With practice, I kept my composure together.

"Oh really?" Vlad said. He gave a small, annoying chuckle at the novel thought. "And how do you suppose you're going to do that?" he asked merely to humor me.

The cold rings of power were bursting across my body before I'd even prepared for the dive. The transformation was complete by the time I was in midair. A thrust of speed was applied just as I skillfully brought a tight and ready fist up, cocking it for ultimate outcome. I hoped this would hurt.

All this happened in the sweet succession of a second. Vlad probably saw me coming, but he didn't have enough time to react properly. The tables had successfully turned. For this brief moment, Vlad Masters was powerless. His resigned expression of surprise when watching me speedily approach was totally worth it. It was payback time!

"Like this," I chuckled, executing a long and awaited for punch.

Powerless

Written By: Pixiegirl13

A/N: I'm quite proud of my story. It was one of the hardest things I've written. Getting Danny's character down in first person was hard, but I think I got the hang of it by the end. I really enjoy doing first person. I think it makes the story more personal.

Anyways, before I wrap this thing up, I've gotta thank a few people. First, I gotta thank the wonderful writer, Jonathan Stroud, for his fine work on the Bartimaeus Trilogy. I first read about the Golem of Prague in the second book of the trilogy. Without his excellent tale on the myth, this fic would have never happened.

Secondly, I'd like to thank a good and awesome friend, Mutantlover09, who helped me along the way and let me bounce ideas off her from time to time. We share the same mind, and she really encouraged me when life was at my hardest; even if she didn't know it or not. Thanks, girl! Without someone to rant to about Fruit loop, I'd have been a royal mess by now!

Thirdly, I'd like to thank the writer D.J. MacHale, author of the Pendragon series. When I was only about 15 and just getting into writing, I asked him what makes a great writer in an email. His one response was this: "A great writer writes from his experiences. Write what you know." Some of the best advice I've ever gotten.

Lastly, I wanna thank you freaking awesome readers! Man, you guys are why I write. I hate writing for myself. If I liked it, I'd keep a journal. I write to entertain the thoughts of others and to share my imagination. Without you faithful readers and reviewers, this fic would have flopped by chapter three. Seriously, you guys are cool, and I'm glad I started writing Danny Phantom fics so I could enjoy the lot of y'all. The Danny Phantom fan base are a true and kind group of people. Pat yourselves on the back for that.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed the ride. Just because I'm ending one Danny Phantom fic doesn't mean I'm finished here. If you haven't already seen it in my bio, I'm creating a Clockwork fic that should be ready to be posted in the next month of so. Anyways, since this is the last chapter, I'll be answering all reviews. Even if you happen along months after this fic is done, I'll probably see it at some point and respond.

Thanks again! I'm done here! -vanishes in a brilliant cloud of smoke-


	25. A Note From Pix

Yeah, this isn't a chapter, as you guys probably figured out. This is just a note from me alerting you awesome readers to the sequel to Powerless, called Incommunicado. Yes...that's spanish.

I know I probably said I wouldn't have a sequel, but an idea actually came and I've already written some rough drafts of a few chapters. Danny and Vlad are just too much fun for me to stop writing about. I have too many crazy ideas in my head I should get out. Also, I want to write more action. Action is good. -nods all-knowingly-

If you guys are interested in the sequel, here's the full summary:

Full Summary: Another horrible summer is in Danny's future as he's forced to stay at Vlad Master's mansion for two weeks. Things seem to get worse when Vlad takes Danny all the way to Ecuador this time to visit an uncle, but nothing is as it seems. Danny's given plenty of freedom, Vlad's uncle is a likable guy, and Vlad himself seems to be in a kinder mood this go around. Danny starts to wonder if his hatred toward Vlad is just an immature and childish emotion or if he's getting played somehow. He might discover the truth the hard way, because not even the jungles of Ecuador can hide a man's secrets for long.

Well, I hope to see you guys there!

Pix


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